Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stands little chance of winning a presidential election without first addressing its internal divisions and rebuilding its political structures from the ground up.
Wike made the remarks at a media chat on Thursday, where he spoke at length about the condition of opposition politics in Nigeria and the requirements for any party to mount a credible bid for the presidency.
Wike on PDP's Path Back to Power
The minister argued that focusing on a presidential contest without first consolidating support at the ward, local government, and state levels was a flawed strategy, as reported by Vanguard.
"You have not even put your house in order, yet you want to win a presidential election. Do you know what it takes to have structures in all 36 states? Do you know what it takes to campaign across the country? Is it a two-month programme? It's not," he said.
Wike was equally direct about PDP's current standing. "I have told you that PDP had a problem. Now, having that problem is not easy. To put yourself back to winning the presidential election is not an easy task," he said, urging the party to prioritise building its capacity before targeting Aso Rock.
He outlined what he considered the appropriate sequence for any serious political party: "Build a party, see what you can do at the state level, get the votes you can get, put your pieces together, then prepare."
Wike Pushes Back on Democracy Narrative
The minister also took issue with the widespread argument that meaningful democratic competition in Nigeria hinges on whether specific opposition figures choose to contest.
"The only way people now say there is democracy is if the ADC or NDC participate in the election. Democracy, for us in Nigeria, has now been defined by whether Atiku participates or whether Peter Obi participates. If they don't participate, people say there is no democracy. Democracy is not about only Atiku contesting or only Peter Obi contesting," he said.
Wike rejected the suggestion, made by some critics, that he had been acting in the interest of the ruling All Progressives Congress, as reported by Punch.
"Was I not the one who was accused of being an agent of APC? Those who accused me, where are they? I am still here. Everybody knows what I have said. I have not hidden it, and I have told our party, 'Let's put our house in order,'" he said.
The former Rivers State governor closed by reiterating that presidential ambition must be backed by deliberate, long-term planning. "Even people who want to run for governor in their own state know the amount of planning involved. It is not an easy thing," he added.
APC Governor Vows to Consume Wike
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi, has strongly rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu handed over political control of Ebonyi state to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Nwifuru said some of Wike’s unnamed allies have been peddling claims that Tinubu has handed over Ebonyi to the ex-Rivers state governor and his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The governor then vowed to frustrate the move and threatened to deal with Wike or anybody involved in the alleged plot, stressing that Ebonyi is not for sale.
