The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, delivered a sharp message to governors and party leaders defecting en masse from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Wednesday at the flag-off ceremony for the construction of the main carriageways on the Outer Southern Expressway in Abuja, Wike claimed that the defections vindicated his support for President Bola Tinubu and justified his earlier critics. Wike, a PDP stalwart serving in the APC-led federal government, said those who once accused him of destabilizing the PDP and working clandestinely for the APC have now joined the ruling party themselves.
“I have been watching on daily television and social media, people who said I want to destabilise the party, I am working for the APC. All of them are now in the APC,” he said. “So, they should commend me for doing a good job of paving the way for them.” He referenced recent high-profile defections including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, who resigned from the PDP citing national development reasons under President Tinubu’s leadership.
He emphasized his long tenure as a governor navigating financial challenges and urged sincerity from all states about their political alignments. The wave of defections, according to political analysts, dramatically reshapes the landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, slicing the PDP gubernatorial members from eleven in 2024 to just eight. Wike’s remarks underscore the growing influence of the APC and hint at possible further shifts in Nigerian politics as defections fuel speculation about the opposition’s cohesion and strategy.
