The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that he did not engage in anti-party activities during the last elections.
Wike said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not have produced a governor in Rivers State and National Assembly members if he had truly worked against the party, despite supporting President Bola Tinubu.
Addressing his monthly press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike said he, Bode George, and other stakeholders of the party had agreed that the PDP should zone its presidential ticket to the South, but some party members refused.
According to Wike: “In 2023, did I not tell you that I wouldn’t support their presidential candidate? I said, based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should go to the South because you can’t have that and the National Chairman at the same time.
“You therefore take one and give us one. Believing that Atiku would win, they said to hell [with it], and I said I was not going to support.
“So why didn’t I leave the party and join APC? Of all of us then and PDP governors today, who produced National Assembly 100 percent? Who produced a governor? Ask them in their various states how many senators they have.
“Bode George supported the Labour Party, and I said I wouldn’t support [Obi]. I’m a politician, and I said even if you support this man (Obi), he can’t win the election, so let’s forget about sentiment. So George and everybody agreed to support a Southern candidate, we all agreed.
“So what offence did I commit by supporting Tinubu under APC? If I was playing anti-party, PDP wouldn’t have won the governorship, NASS seats and Rivers was the only state that gave PDP that kind of victory.”
Wike had earlier declared that he remains a member of the PDP and that nobody can push him out.
