The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of working to destroy the party through exclusionary and selfish leadership practices.
Wike, who spoke during his monthly media parley monitored on Arise Television on Friday, criticised the conduct of PDP governors for allegedly holding crucial meetings without involving key stakeholders like himself.
He insisted that, given his long-standing role and contributions to the party, he deserved to be consulted on major decisions. He said: “Have I not said that the booby traps they were setting would consume them? “I told them that with what the governors were doing, they would bury the party.
“I am FCT Minister, for Christ’s sake. Forget about what you think; just because I am not a governor, you call PDP stakeholders’ meetings and exclude me? “Assuming I was not even the Minister of the FCT, by the role I have played in this party, should I not be contacted?”
He accused a few PDP governors of making unilateral decisions, saying their arrogance and disregard for inclusivity were pushing the party to the brink. “Just two or three people, because they are governors, think they can decide everything. “They make decisions and expect everyone to follow.
Follow who? It may have favoured you yesterday, but that doesn’t mean it will favour you today. “There’s no commitment; leadership doesn’t happen on the pages of newspapers,” he said.
At the party’s forthcoming national convention, scheduled for November in Ibadan, Oyo State, Wike insisted he would not attend, describing the planned event as “illegal.” “I won’t attend a convention.
I know it’s full of illegalities. We fought before, and we were not in power then. “Why didn’t people leave? It is because there was leadership. But now, you’re organising a convention without following due process.
“Do the right thing first; I will be happy if you do,” he said. He accused the PDP governors of failing to respect internal democracy and warned that the continued disregard for procedure would only worsen the crisis within the party.
The minister also revisited past crises in the PDP, accusing former President Muhammadu Buhari of at- tempting to destroy the opposition during his tenure. “When Buhari was in power, there was nothing he didn’t do to scatter the PDP. “The plan was to destroy the party through Ali Modu Sheriff, but we stood our ground.
We didn’t defect,” Wike said. He lamented that the current crop of PDP leaders had failed to learn from history. “Are you telling me that it is the ruling party that will beg you to put your house in order so that we don’t have a one party state? Who does that?” he asked.
