The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rejected claims that he assured President Bola Tinubu of his willingness to weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
Wike’s response follows comments by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who last week alleged that the former Rivers State governor promised Tinubu he would “hold down” the PDP to ease the president’s re-election bid. The claim has further deepened internal divisions within the opposition party.
Speaking during an end-of-year media chat on Monday, Wike dismissed Makinde’s assertion as a lie, insisting that no such promise was ever made to the president. He questioned the basis of the allegation and the circumstances under which such a discussion could have taken place.
“Seyi Makinde has never called me Wike before. That is the first time I heard him refer to me that way. It’s unfortunate,” Wike said. “You must first ask yourself: what was that meeting, and what was the purpose of that meeting that would have led me to tell Mr President that I would hold the PDP down for him?”
Wike also queried why Makinde failed to raise the issue earlier if he genuinely believed such a commitment had been made.
“If that were true, why did Seyi Makinde not come out immediately to tell the party what he claimed he heard? Why wait until now?” he asked.
Clarifying the circumstances surrounding the meeting in question, Wike explained that the visit to the president took place after the 2023 elections and involved several PDP stakeholders.
“There was no such meeting as being described,” he said. “My humble self, former Benue State governor Samuel Ortom, former Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu, former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Seyi Makinde went to see the president after the elections to discuss certain issues.”
According to Wike, the interaction was informal and did not involve any pre-arranged agenda to undermine the opposition party.
“While we were there, the Chief of Staff was around, as he always is. I even asked him to sit with us so we could remind the president of what we had discussed. At no point did I say anything about holding the PDP down,” he stated.
Describing Makinde’s allegation as “very unfair,” Wike suggested the Oyo State governor was acting out of frustration and lacking the courage to openly pursue his political ambitions.
“There is nothing wrong with ambition, but ambition must be pursued according to the rules,” Wike said. “Politics is not like being a contractor. It has its own rules and processes.”
The controversy originated from Makinde’s remarks during a media interaction last week, where he recounted a private 2023 meeting involving himself, Wike and President Tinubu. Makinde claimed that Wike, unprompted, pledged to undermine the PDP in support of Tinubu.
Makinde has since expressed regret over backing Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election and vowed not to support him in 2027, citing concerns about the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
The exchange has intensified debates within the PDP, as party leaders and supporters continue to trade blame over internal rifts and the party’s strategy ahead of the next general election.
