PDP defends Wike’s support for Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu while retaining his PDP membership.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, described the decision as a legitimate constitutional right in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Mohammed dismissed the rejection of Wike’s support by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, attributing it to fear and poor governance.

He said APC governors initially mistook Wike’s support for Tinubu as an endorsement of the APC.

According to him, they later realised that the support did not amount to surrendering political space to the APC.

“The APC governors’ demand that Wike should not field candidates to challenge them is a major miscalculation,” Mohammed said.

He said the demand exposed the governors’ anxiety over the prospect of facing a stabilised PDP in the 2027 elections.

Mohammed said that if the APC governors were confident in their records, they should welcome open political competition.

He said the governors should not seek to prevent opposition parties from fielding candidates in the forthcoming elections.

Describing Wike as a proven political asset and mobiliser, Mohammed warned against underestimating his political influence.

“Wike is a force to reckon with, not a force to reject. Those who underestimate his capacity do so at their own political peril,” he said.

The PDP spokesman advised APC governors to focus on accountability and proper management of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) resources.

He said the party remained committed to fielding credible candidates for the 2027 general elections.

Mohammed maintained that Wike’s political support for Tinubu did not extinguish his rights and responsibilities as a PDP member.