- Wike says PDP is now badly factionalised.
- He insists he remains in PDP despite defections.
- Denies France arrest rumour as political distraction.
- Urges PDP leaders to reconcile internal divisions.
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has linked the mass defection of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 15 other lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to what he described as the deepening factional crisis in the PDP.
Speaking with journalists after touring ongoing road projects in Abuja, Wike said he understands why the lawmakers made the move, even though they did not inform him beforehand.
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“It’s unfortunate. Everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalised,” Wike said.
“And once a party is factionalised, the Constitution allows members to leave.”
Despite the high-profile defections, Wike made it clear that he has not abandoned the party he helped build.
“I’m still in the PDP,” he stated firmly.
“Sixteen or seventeen may have left out of twenty-seven, but we still have about ten members. We will keep working together.”
He warned, however, that unless the party leadership wakes up and resolves internal disputes, more members may walk away.
“If you don’t put your house in order, the party will keep losing,” he cautioned.
Wike also addressed another trending issue, rumours circulating online that he was arrested in France. He dismissed the reports as politically-motivated fabrications designed to derail his focus.
With a smirk, he joked: “What matters is staying focused. They were the ones arrested, not me,” he said.
Recalling earlier false claims that he was ill or flown abroad, Wike said such distractions have become routine attempts to dent his work.
“People will say anything. Last time they said I was sick. Now they said I was arrested in France. I am doing my job,” he stressed.
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Wike emphasised that his loyalty remains with the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his commitment to ongoing infrastructural development across the FCT.
“As long as Mr President is satisfied with my performance, I will keep working. Critics will talk, but results will shut them up,” he said.
In recent months, the minister has intensified field inspections and oversight across Abuja, making road expansion, urban renewal and security improvements central pillars of his administration. He believes sustained delivery, not political noise, will determine who stands and who fades.
