Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has boasted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition elements lack the wherewithal to challenge, let alone wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The former governor of Rivers State declared that ADC lacks the grassroots structure required to challenge the ruling party, stressing that Nigeria’s electoral success is driven largely by local political structures, not narratives in the media.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only opposition party that can give the APC a fight in the election and urged it to resolve its protracted internal issues and demonstrate tangible achievements if it hopes to be competitive in future elections.
The FCT minister downplayed allegations that he pledged to “hold down” the PDP for President Bola Tinubu, calling it a “blatant lie.”
Makinde recently told journalists that Wike, during a visit to the State House in 2024, promised President Tinubu that he would “hold PDP” for him.
Reacting, Wike said the meeting had nothing to do with the PDP but was meant to show support for Tinubu’s leadership and assure him of continued support.
According to him, his support for Tinubu had never been hidden and did not require any special meeting to affirm.
“Seyi said I told Tinubu that I would hold PDP for him. Nothing like that happened.
“Everyone knows my position on Tinubu. I don’t need a meeting to tell him that,” Wike said.
Wike questioned the basis of Makinde’s claim and asked why the Oyo governor failed to brief the PDP leadership on the alleged discussion.
“First of all, let us ask: what was the purpose of that meeting? Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said?” he asked.
“There was no such meeting. What was the purpose of that meeting that would have led me to say, ‘Mr. President, I will hold PDP for you’?
“Why did Makinde not come up all this while to tell the party, ‘see what Wike is doing’? I was in a meeting and saw what Wike said. It’s not correct.
“And let me put the record straight: there was no such meeting. Rather, my humble self, the former governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu; the former governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Makinde went to see the president.
“That is so unfair to say that I said that I will hold PDP down for you. If you look at that media chat, you will see that Makinde was frustrated.”
He also criticised Makinde’s political approach, suggesting the Oyo governor lacked understanding of party politics.
“We have advised him several times. Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. It has different rules.”
Wike added that as a minister, he has a responsibility to ensure that members of the G-5 group benefited from the Tinubu administration in one way or another.
He also said the misunderstanding began when Makinde failed to secure a ministerial position for his nominee.
“What we are dealing with today is that he was not given any ministerial slot,” Wike said.
“Even when he was saying it, we could see the anger. He didn’t need to tell anybody; we could see it. We told him, ‘Calm down.’”
The former Rivers governor said efforts were made to pacify Makinde and explain the circumstances surrounding the appointments, including visits to Tinubu.
“We went back home and explained why we went to see the president. We told him, just take it easy. There are certain factors you may not have considered. However, something has to be done.”
Wike added that despite these efforts, Makinde appeared to have already made up his mind making reconciliation difficult.
“I remember when the Rivers state government held a reception for me. The former governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom, spoke and said they were going to support the president for a second term.
“But Seyi Makinde, the next day, replied, questioning why he would say such a thing. I called him and said even if Ortom said so, he didn’t need to go that far. All he could have said was, ‘let’s call it a day; it’s too early for you to make that kind of statement.’”
He further claimed that he had not received the level of support Makinde allegedly got from Tinubu, including the reported N50 billion grant for victims of the Bodija explosion in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Suleimon Olanrewaju, has said only N30 billion was released, explaining that part of the funds was paid directly to victims as immediate support while the balance was used for rebuilding and restoration.
Nonetheless, Wike maintained that Makinde owed Oyo people a duty to account for how the funds were spent, adding that such expenditure should have been properly appropriated before disbursement.
