Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday dismissed the adoption of former President Goodluck Jonathan as presidential candidate by the Kabiru Turaki-led group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He questioned the legitimacy of a political process conducted without the direct involvement of the individual concerned.
“They say they have a presidential candidate. Why not wait? The same presidential candidate they are talking about has not made any statement. You are conducting an election on behalf of somebody. I don’t know when Nigeria got to the point where people run elections on behalf of another person,” he said.
Wike Dismisses Claims of Court Ruling Invalidating PDP Convention
Wike also dismissed claims by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction that a recent Court of Appeal judgment had invalidated the party’s convention and the National Working Committee (NWC) that emerged from it. Speaking while responding to questions from journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, he accused members of the group of deliberately misrepresenting the court’s decision to mislead their supporters and sustain what he described as a lost political cause.
The minister was reacting to a statement issued by the Turaki-led faction, which claimed that the appellate court had overturned a High Court judgment recognising the PDP caretaker committee that organised the convention leading to the emergence of the current NWC.
Wike Labels Interpretation as Fraudulent
Describing the interpretation of the judgment as fraudulent, Wike said the ruling was clear and unambiguous, stressing that the appeal filed by the group was dismissed and therefore had no legal effect on the status of the party’s convention or leadership.
“You see, when I say 419, people don’t pay attention to it. There are 419s of different types and forms,” Wike said. “It is unfortunate that somebody may even be derobed because of this matter. When a lawyer comes out to give information different from what the court actually said, it is really unfortunate.”
According to the Minister, the Court of Appeal merely reaffirmed an earlier position taken by the Supreme Court on the matter, making the issues raised in the appeal academic.
“You went on appeal and the court said your appeal is dismissed. Ordinarily, that means you have lost. If the appeal had been upheld, then you could claim that whatever convention or decisions were taken had been set aside. But the court said the appeal is dismissed. That means there is no life in it again,” he said.
Wike Challenges Faction to Seek Validation from INEC
The minister maintained that the judgment did not invalidate the PDP convention or the NWC, as being claimed by the faction. “The Court of Appeal said the convention had already been nullified before and the Supreme Court had also pronounced on it. Therefore, there was nothing left to determine. So how do you now come out to say the convention has been invalidated?” he queried.
Wike challenged members of the faction to seek validation of their claims from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that the electoral body was a party to the suit and would ultimately determine which candidates and party structures are recognised.
“If it has truly been invalidated, let them go to INEC. INEC is a party to the suit. It is not a question of coming before the public and telling lies,” he said.
He added that the coming months would expose what he described as the falsehood being peddled by the group, especially as INEC prepares to publish candidates submitted by political parties ahead of future elections.
“By July, INEC will publish candidates of the various political parties. Then Nigerians will see what is real. For now, they are simply trying to keep the hopes of their supporters alive after losing in court,” he stated.
Wike: Legal Battles Settled
Wike insisted that the legal and political battles surrounding the PDP’s leadership had effectively been settled, urging members of the party and the public to disregard what he described as misleading narratives being circulated by political actors unwilling to accept defeat.
“We are tired of replying to people who have lost out. The appeal was dismissed. They lost yesterday, and they have lost,” he declared. “When you see them, ask them a simple question: who went on appeal and what did the Court of Appeal say? If the appeal was dismissed, how can they claim victory?”
