The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected insinuation that he is a political mole in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even as he also declared that neither the PDP state governors nor members of the National Working Committee (NWC) can consider him as an outsider in the party.
Wike also vowed not to lend any political endorsement for his estranged protege, the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on his political journey.
He made the explosive declaration on Friday while he was featured as a guest on one of the national television stations.
His declaration has only further revealed the deep political cleavages within the main opposition party, which has set up a disciplinary committee, headed by Chief Tom Ikimi, to try Wike for anti-party activities and for threatening to stoke up political crisis in the PDP states opposed to his political views.
“There is no governor today in the PDP, not anybody born of a woman can say I am an outsider. Who?
“I did a lot for the party. I dare anybody in PDP to come out on national television. I dare any governor; l dare any National Working Committee member to come out on national television and say I am a mole. Let anybody come out,” Wike said.
He added that for peace to return to PDP again, the leadership must obey the rule of law, justice, equity and fairness.
He said nobody could intimidate him for kicking against impunity.
Wike also accused Fubara of lying against him, vowing not to support the Rivers State governor in his political aspirations again.
He insisted Fubara would not have emerged victorious at the polls if not for the labour of those who supported him and built structures.
He accused the governor of abandoning those who worked for him and spreading lies about him demanding money.
In a burst of rage against his erstwhile political godson, Wike declared: “I will never support Fubara in my political life again. Anybody that knows me, knows it’s not about me. People laboured to put up a structure.
“People laboured, you wouldn’t have even taken the 50th position. I sacrificed to talk to the Ogonis, I sacrificed to talk to several other people that let us go this way.
“You turned it that I am asking for N50 billion, N100 billion. You turned up lies against me, I brought you up, put you here. Today, I turned to be over demanding.”
The FCT Minister equally accused his successor of denying that he rose through a platform, describing Fubara’s action as being unfair.
Wike also vowed he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of outgoing Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki of the PDP, in the gubernatorial election slated for September 21.
He described Obaseki as an ingrate, stressing that he had told the Edo governor that he would not support his candidate, in spite of the subtle move by the former to garner his support.
Wike also reiterated that though he supported the administration of President Bola Tinubu, he was not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding before he accepted to be appointed as minister, he wrote a letter to the PDP in his state, the PDP national at level.
“The problem we have in this country is that some people think they’re smart. What I want to do I will do, what I don’t want to do I will not do.
“In 2023, did I not say I won’t support the PDP (Presidential) candidate because it is against equity, it is against fairness? Did I do it at the back?
“Did the PDP not win the governorship? Did the PDP not win the National Assembly? Did PDP not win the state assembly? I challenge any of them in any of this (PDP) states who won 100 percent as we have. How did we do it? Leadership!”
On the biting economic challenges under the Tinubu administration, Wike urged Nigerians to be patient and go back on memory lane.
He said the Tinubu administration met an ailing economy and had refused to reveal the extent of the rot in the economy he inherited.
Furthermore, Wike dismissed allegations of him influencing the appointment of his cousin, Anugbum Onuoha, as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, warning propagandists that ‘nobody born of a woman’ can intimidate his cousin.
“For accusing my first cousin they have made a mistake. You know why, I thought I was strong, but in the case of my cousin, the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, you are beating a rock. He will not. He can never, even the INEC chairman cannot tell him what to do. He will ask you to go to hell with your job. He is that stubborn.
“For more than one year now, my cousin has been there as Edo REC. He (Obaseki) never knew he was Wike’s Cousin, until now that election is close.
“How will I influence my enemy’s appointment? So if I hear that my cousin is to be appointed, I should go and call Imams and Pastors and tell them to please not allow my cousin to be appointed? I shouldn’t say, please help him to be appointed. What nonsense is that?
“If you remove him now, will he not go to another state? Will there not be an election there? Will there not be an election in another state for Christ’s sake?
“Take, for example, they said I am controlling the PDP National Working Committee, isn’t that true? Now, these were the same National Working Committee who had a press conference saying that they should remove my cousin as REC in Edo State, yet they say I am controlling them.
“You know, they blow hot and cold. Today it favours them, they are happy, but if it doesn’t favour them, they speak differently.
“Let me tell anybody who cares, I don’t care what you think, but you can never intimidate my cousin. Go and ask about him. You can’t. It is in the blood. He will do the right thing, but you can never intimidate him just like me.
“Nobody can, nobody born of a woman can intimidate me. So if you think that propaganda will work, take him to Sokoto, Katsina, or Bauchi, and he will stand firm.”
Olawale Ajimotokan, Chuks Okocha and Sunday Ehigiator
Follow us on:
