The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that no individual has the authority to expel him.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, the former Governor of Rivers State dismissed the recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party as invalid. He argued that the gathering was improperly convened and described it as ‘an illegal forum’, which explained his absence.
“I am still in PDP. I worked hard for the party. I have not seen anybody who will have the guts to tell me, Wike, you are not a member of the party. Who is that? What is his contribution to the party that is more than me.There was no NEC meeting. No, I don’t know about you, so should I attend an illegal meeting?”, he asked.
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Wike also dismissed threats of possible sanctions from the PDP over his decision to accept a ministerial appointment in President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2023. He insisted that he did not accept the role without first informing the party, stating that he had written to the zonal leadership, the governor, and the national body.
The former governor then challenged party members to declare whether any of them actually advised him against accepting the position. “In any case, how could they say that, when the government had written directly to the governors, asking them to nominate individuals for board appointments? Every governor responded and submitted names—I can even show you the list.
“So, if PDP Governors can write to an APC-led government recommending people for appointments, what’s wrong with me, as a PDP member, serving in that same government? You lobby the president for appointments behind closed doors, then come out in broad daylight to accuse Wike of working for the APC government.”
