The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday renewed his attack on factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of disregarding court rulings and engaging in what he termed fraudulent political practices.
His remarks followed escalating tensions between rival blocs in the party, particularly those aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Wike-backed camp, over control of party structures and legitimacy of leadership.
At the centre of the dispute is the rejection by Wike’s faction of what it described as an unauthorised National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, as well as the emergence of a caretaker committee reportedly headed by Tanimu Turaki.
The group loyal to Wike maintained that no valid NEC meeting took place and insisted that Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remain the recognised officials of the party.
It also cited the Supreme Court’s April 30 judgment, which nullified the Ibadan convention backed by the Makinde camp that produced the Turaki-led leadership, thereby deepening the leadership crisis within the PDP.
Speaking during a media briefing with journalists in Abuja, Wike strongly condemned moves to establish what he described as illegitimate leadership arrangements, stressing that only court-recognised authorities are empowered to manage the party’s affairs.
He dismissed the idea of any valid interim structure, warning against actions he said undermine legal and democratic processes.
“When will people stop being fraudulent? You cannot disobey court judgments and then turn around to deceive Nigerians that you have a legitimate structure. That is not how democracy works,” he said.
READ ALSO: Wike Blasts Turaki’s Call for Trump Intervention, Says Nigeria’s Democracy Stable
Wike further argued that only leadership recognised by the courts can lawfully oversee the party, cautioning against what he called parallel and unlawful arrangements.
“You don’t form a leadership in your bedroom and call it a national structure. Let them open an office anywhere and call it PDP secretariat; I dare them. That is how you know what is real and what is not,” Wike stated.
He alleged that some stakeholders were pushing ahead with an illegal caretaker arrangement despite clear judicial pronouncements on the matter.
“The court has made it clear who should run the affairs of the party pending a lawful convention. You cannot ignore that and start setting up another structure. That is fraud, 419,” he added.
The FCT Minister also expressed concern over what he described as a decline in institutional integrity, accusing some political and legal actors of undermining the rule of law for personal advantage.
“People you expect to uphold the law are the ones trying to bend it. That is the tragedy of our system,” he said.