The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has revealed that he got approval from leaders of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial Appointment. Wike stated this yesterday in Abuja during his maiden press conference as the new FCT minister.
Nyesom Wike who remains a member of the opposition PDP, was one of the 45 ministerial nominees screened and confirmed by the Senate. In the build up to the 2023 general elections, the newly inaugurated FCT Minister contested for the Presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party alongside Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar eventually won the PDP ticket after Aminu Tambuwal stepped down for him – a move that irked Nyesom Wike who came a close second.
Nyesom Wike who was the Rivers State Governor at the time then waged a relentless war against the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar and formed the G5, a group of five governors from Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Oyo and Benue and other major stakeholders of the PDP such as Bode George, Ayo Fayose etc who were uncomfortable with power remaining in the North after 8 years of Buhari’s presidency.
Nyesom Wike’s opposition to Atiku severely affected the former Vice President’s chances in the South and coupled with the Obidient wave that swept the South East and the South South geopolitical zones, was able to win only Osun, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States out of the entire 17 southern States. Nyesom Wike made sure that Rivers, the traditional stronghold of the PDP in the South went to the APC.
After the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the obvious alignment of Nyesom Wike with the APC-led federal government, there were moves by some members of the PDP loyal to Atiku Abubakar for the suspension of the former Rivers State governor over his association with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and also rumoured ministerial nomination by President Tinubu.
Wike has now revealed that he wrote to leaders of his party, including the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Iliya Damagum, and got their approval to be part of Tinubu’s cabinet.
“They said they’ll sanction me that I took an appointment — that’s ridiculous,” Wike said.
“The president wrote to all the 36 state governors to bring names of people to appoint. Didn’t PDP governors submit names? Every PDP governor wrote a letter and nominated 10 persons for appointment in this (Tinubu’s) government.
“Before this appointment came, I wrote to the national party chairman, minority leader of the house of representatives and senate, zonal chairman of the party, my state chairman, and my governor.
“All of them wrote me back: ‘Accept it’. I have it in evidence documented”, Wike added.
Nyesom Wike was also asked by a journalist from ThisDay newspaper which party flag he will adorn in his office between that of his party the PDP and that of the APC whose government appointed him as FCT Minister to which he responded in his characteristic manner, “OK, give me any flag APC, PDP or even LP, I’ll hang it as long as FCT is moving forward.”