The Peoples Democratic Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Coalition of United Political Parties, and others have strongly condemned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for offering to lead President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Wike on Monday during a media chat declared himself as a key asset in Tinubu’s 2027 election plan.
He told the panel of interviewers that he never engaged in any anti-party activities and challenged the PDP to suspend him if they believed otherwise.
But the PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said Wike lied, adding that the party would soon decide the minister’s fate in the party.
In it’s reaction, the CUPP’s Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, accused Wike of being the “President’s hatchet man”, working to dismantle opposition parties.
He said Tinubu would be defeated in 2027 despite Wike’s endorsement.
A senior PDP official said his party upholds law and order, adding that it would soon take disciplinary action against Wike.
He stated, “This party is a party of process. We have the structures, processes, and laws that we’re following. At the right time, we shall enforce our laws on him and others.
“When somebody says nobody can remove him from the party, that is just his view. The PDP is bigger than any individual. And my answer is very simple: opinion is free, but facts are sacred. Policies are sacred. Rules and regulations are sacred. While he is entitled to his view, I can tell you that, at the right time, the party will enforce its rules.”
The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Osadolor said, “The truth is that Wike has lost the class and influence he once had among the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party. That is not to say he is not an influential Nigerian, but the kind of command, control, and leverage he previously held within the party has been completely stripped from him.
“So, when you see him crying or wailing now and then, it’s more of a reactionary outburst than something to be taken seriously. You see, the PDP stands a very good chance of wresting power from the current government in this country.
“Even with Wike’s support, we saw what happened in Rivers in 2023. So, Nigerians should not be deceived by sensational speeches or media chats. No matter how much he cries or postures, Nigerians are already determined that this government will be a one-term government.”
A member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, said the main opposition party would field a candidate of southern extraction who must be a member of the party.
He said, “All these people junketing, do they think that the only man who can be President in 2027 is Bola Tinubu? The PDP will not rally round Tinubu, he is not a member of our party.”
CUPP’s spokesperson Mark Adebayo said Wike’s support would not prevent Tinubu’s
defeat in 2027.
He stated, “First and foremost, that is the nature of power opportunism. When you see opportunists in power, that is how they behave. That is their character. That is their character configuration as politicians without principles.
“Yes, Wike is officially in the PDP, but we know his heart, soul, and body are in the APC, and he is in cahoots with the President to ensure his re-election. So, I consider Mr. Wike the President’s hatchet man. He’s the political hitman for the President. His assignment is to destroy the opposition parties, especially the PDP.
“He’s an agent provocateur within the PDP. He’s not truly a member; he’s an agent to watch. You know why I call him the President’s hatchet man? Because he’s disrupting and weakening his own party, so the President can have an easy ride for a second term. That’s the issue.
“What I am sure of is that in 2027, hunger, poverty, hardship, and other challenges will easily mobilise Nigerians against President Tinubu and the likes of Wike. So, they will be defeated.”
Similarly, the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, called on the PDP to bring its members under control.
Johnson it is Nigerians, who have been enduring hardship, who will ultimately determine Tinubu’s fate in the 2027 election, not Wike.
He said, “Well, it has long been obvious that the minister for the Federal Capital Territory is not a member or a leader of the opposition. It has been obvious to all Nigerians.
“It is high time the PDP whipped its members, like Wike, into line to adopt the position of the party. But if the party is that weak, as the leader of the opposition party, to do that, then it is obvious they cannot play their role and lead the opposition.
“On his plan to lead President Tinubu’s campaign, I have always said it: 2027 does not have much to do with the decision of the politicians. In 2027, the question for the Nigerian people will be whether they are better off now than they were in January 2023. That would be the golden question, and it will be left to the people to decide.
“So, no matter the endorsements or what have you, the elections are what will count. And from the hardship Nigerians are going through, it is obvious that this government will be voted out.”
