The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Interim National Working Committee, has declared that the plan by the FCT Minister to stop the party from producing a presidential candidate for the 2027 election will fail.
The leadership under Tanimu Turaki said Wike cannot hold the party down in its plan to ensure that it participates in the upcoming presidential election next year.
The faction made this declaration in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong who said the FCT Minister is frustrated by the progress being made by the party, particularly the sale of forms to potential aspirants under the party.
The Turaki leadership was responding to Wike’s Wednesday’s threat to sanction any bank used by the Turaki’s faction for the sale of forms to aspirants willing to contest next year’s election, saying the faction is not recognized by the law.
The Minister also threatened to seize any building in the FCT used by the Turaki faction as its national secretariat, in his capacity as the Minister of the Capital City.
“Let Turaki, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly for members who want to contest elections. That day, you will see what will happen,” Wike said during his media chat with select journalists on Wednesday.
No bank should open an account for the faction for the sales of forms, Wike warned.
“That bank will be in trouble because to open such an account, you must provide the party’s authentic documents and recognised leadership. Who has those documents?”, he said.
“If anybody goes ahead to open an illegal office in the name of the PDP in Abuja, I will seal it. I will not allow any breach of peace because my duty is to maintain law and order in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
Reacting, Ememobong said Wike is unhappy that the party has commenced the sales of forms for prospective aspirants, about to conduct primary and conduct a national convention to select its candidates for the general election next year.
Part of the statement by Ememobong: “We understand his frustration about the commencement of the sale of forms and activities to hold primaries and eventually a national convention where a credible Nigerian will emerge as the Presidential Candidate.”
“The sale of forms is ongoing, and there is nothing Wike can do about it. His boast of dealing with banks that will open accounts for us is not true as he is already aware that we are operating accounts of the party, which is why his group of friends are receiving money through private accounts.”
The magazine reports that the two factions in the PDP, promoted by Minister and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state have claimed victory from the recent Supreme Court judgment over the leadership crisis rocking Nigeria’s former ruling party.
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