Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has described the resignation of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as “very embarrassing.”
Diri quit the party on October 15 while chairing its zoning committee ahead of the national convention set for November 15 and 16.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, October 24, in Abuja, Wike said the move was disappointing.
“It is very embarrassing. The governor was the chairman of the convention committee. Diri was the chairman of the zoning committee. Even though I knew from the beginning that they were all playing games,” he said.
Wike added that the recent wave of defections did not come as a surprise. He said he had long warned that the party would continue losing key members if its leadership failed to act correctly.
“Have I not said that so many governors will leave? Is it the first time you’ve heard me say so? Nothing I said has not come to pass.
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“From day one, I said if things are not done properly, PDP will continue to lose — and we will regret it,” he said.
When asked whether these departures might benefit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Wike avoided speculation.
“I don’t know whether the political tsunami is in favour of the APC. All I know is that there will be a political tsunami,” he said.
Wike rejected claims that his criticism of the PDP was motivated by personal grievance over losing the party’s 2022 presidential ticket to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
“Which house (PDP) do they say I want to pull down? The house that has died since?” he asked.
He also blamed some PDP governors for the party’s internal decay, accusing them of impunity and neglecting due process, actions he said have contributed significantly to the party’s ongoing decline.