Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has spoken about the revelations about political pressure before the 2023 elections.
Wike claims that Peter Obi’s camp, the Labour Party presidential candidate, lobbied him intensely for support.
Speaking in Port Harcourt during a private luncheon hosted in honor of the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Wike did not hold back.
He accused Peter Obi’s supporters of attempting to woo him, but he stood his ground, refusing to shift his political loyalty.
Wike said the lobbying efforts were so intense that the Labour Party could not deny it happened.
The former Rivers governor also pointed out that his refusal to support Obi created tension, with various groups within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and even some elements of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ganging up against him.
Wike has become a key figure in Nigerian politics, known for his bold political moves.
In the build-up to the 2023 presidential elections, many expected him to support either the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar or Labour Party’s Peter Obi, but Wike chose to back Bola Tinubu, the APC’s candidate, now President of Nigeria.
This decision shocked many, as Wike had been a longtime member of the PDP.
However, the FCT minister remains unapologetic about his choice.
“I have no regrets supporting President Tinubu,” Wike declared boldly.
He went on to explain that his decision to back Tinubu was not just about political strategy but about standing against what he described as injustice within his party.
Wike’s refusal to support Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi stems from what he says was a lack of fairness in the PDP’s decision-making process.
His opposition, he says, was never personal but was based on principles of equity and justice.
According to Wike, many people in the PDP blame him for Atiku’s failure to clinch the presidency.
“They think I and my team stopped them from becoming president. What we stopped was injustice. We wanted equity,” he said.
Wike accused the Atiku and Obi camps of plotting against him.
“There is Atiku’s group, Peter Obi’s group, and some few governors of the PDP who believe I’m a problem to them,” he said.
He also hinted at a bigger plot within the PDP.
“There is another gang-up within the PDP. They want to be president in 2027, and they are saying, ‘If we don’t do anything now, we will have a problem later.’ But they will have a problem, not me,” Wike asserted confidently.
Wike’s political career has been marked by a series of bold decisions.
As governor of Rivers State, he was known for his confrontational style and willingness to challenge the status quo.
In 2022, Wike emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the PDP’s leadership, particularly during the party’s primaries.
Many expected Wike to clinch the PDP’s presidential ticket, but after the party chose Atiku Abubakar, Wike distanced himself from the party’s campaign.
This refusal to throw his support behind Atiku created friction between Wike and other PDP leaders.
The split within the PDP became more apparent when Wike openly criticized the party’s leadership and refused to join the Atiku campaign train.
His decision to back APC’s Bola Tinubu only added fuel to the fire.
Despite the criticism, Wike stands firm.
“I will continue to be a problem for them,” he declared during the luncheon.
Wike believes that the gang-up against him won’t succeed, whether from the PDP or any other political group.
“There is another APC – very prominent. All these people combined, they will lose,” he said confidently.
