Politics

Wike’s inordinate ambition cause of PDP crisis – Aniagwu

Published

3 years ago

January 2, 2023

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike

Spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, has said Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is working against the party’s quest to zone its presidential ticket to the Southeast.

Aniagwu accused Wike of influencing the party’s zoning committee, headed by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, of opening up the contest with the hope that he would win.

Speaking on Arise Television programme: “Prime Time”, Aniagwu, who is also the Delta State Commissioner for Information, said the ongoing crisis in the party was caused by Wike’s inordinate ambition to become the President.

According to him, Wike’s anger at the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is misplaced because Ortom was the chairman of PDP’s zoning committee before the primary election was conducted.

The campaign spokesman said it was not Atiku that made it open for people to freely contest for the party’s ticket, but Ortom.

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“In our quest for peace, we have allowed the danger of the single story to persist. When the party set up a Zoning Committee, it was headed by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and a member of the G-5 governors.

“The committee threw the ticket open for the best to emerge and Atiku Abubakar was considered the most qualified to lead Nigeria’s rescue and rebuilding mission.

“Let me now give you a hint. When the issue of zoning was discussed, you know that Ortom was the chairman of the zoning committee.

“Atiku Abubakar was interested in micro zoning to the Southeast, but it was the same Nyesom Wike that frustrated it because he wanted to contest.

“It was not Atiku that made the zoning open to people to just go and contest. In this case, there was a contest between the South and the North, and Atiku was considered by members of the party as the man capable of leading Nigerians out of the woods.

“I think often times we undermine the value of our prayers as Nigerians. From the actions of Wike, you will know that the prayers of Nigerians are working.

“Because if in just Rivers State, you are subjecting everybody to the kind of torture we are seeing, which we never saw under military rule, imagine if he was in charge of the military.”

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On calls for disciplinary measures against the five “rebel” governors in G-5, Aniagwu said the party was taking its time to ensure that all avenues for peace and compromise were explored.

“I know many people are wondering why the party is keeping quiet and neglecting the actions of Governor Wike and others. This is because the party wants to exhaust all avenues of ensuring that these individuals realise that the party has been able to bring them up to speed.

“Without the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), these individuals that are creating this crisis, where will they be? So, when individuals begin to progress along this line and think that the rest of us don’t matter, you begin to wonder what their calculation is, in any case,” he said.

The PDP campaign chief said the party would continue to appeal to the G-5 governors to return home and join hands in its rescue mission project.

“We do hope that the G-5 governors return home. But while we await their return, we will continue to engage Nigerians because that is where the power resides.

“Our presidential candidate is very busy interfacing with Nigerians and we will continue to plead with Wike and accord him the respect he deserves as a governor and a great leader in our party.

“The very disturbing economic and security situation in the country is enough for any leader to sheathe his sword and help in taking decisions that can help the country to navigate through the very murky waters.

“That a man suffered defeat in a party’s primary that was very creditably organised is one thing to which we don’t understand the extent to which he is taking this fight,” Aniagwu said.

The Nation

Related Topics:Aniagwu Featured PDP Wike

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Wike Fires Back at Makinde, Denies Plan to Weaken PDP for Tinubu

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21 hours ago

December 29, 2025

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Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike

Wike Fires Back at Makinde, Denies Plan to Weaken PDP for Tinubu

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde that he promised to “hold the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) down” to ease President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Wike refuted the allegation during an end-of-the-year media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, describing the claim as false, unfair and borne out of political frustration.

“What was that purpose that would have led me to say, ‘Mr President, I’ll hold PDP down for you?’” Wike asked.

Governor Makinde had last week alleged during a media chat in Ibadan, Oyo State, that Wike volunteered to weaken the PDP for Tinubu’s benefit during a meeting attended by the president and other political figures. Makinde said he was shocked by the alleged statement and insisted he would not support Tinubu’s second-term bid.

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Responding, Wike denied that such a meeting or statement ever took place. He clarified that he, alongside former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Makinde, only paid a post-election visit to President Tinubu to discuss general political issues.

“There was no such meeting. It is completely out of point to say I told Mr President that I would hold PDP down. It is very unfair,” Wike said.

The FCT minister accused Makinde of misrepresenting events and allowing personal ambition to fuel internal divisions within the opposition PDP.

“You can see frustration in Seyi Makinde. There is nothing wrong with ambition, but ambition must be guided by the rules,” Wike stated.

He further blamed Makinde for the legal battles that deepened the PDP crisis, alleging that party leaders had agreed to resolve disputes internally before Makinde took matters to court.

“We all agreed for the party to move on. He refused and went to the Supreme Court. When he went, he lost,” Wike said.

The rift between the two senior PDP figures has intensified following Makinde’s public declaration that he would not support President Tinubu in 2027, citing concerns over opposition survival and democratic balance.

Wike, however, maintained that he never offered to undermine the PDP, insisting that the allegations attributed to him were spurious and ill-conceived.

Wike Fires Back at Makinde, Denies Plan to Weaken PDP for Tinubu

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I Won’t Be Anyone’s Running Mate in 2027 — Peter Obi

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22 hours ago

December 29, 2025

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Peter Obi

I Won’t Be Anyone’s Running Mate in 2027 — Peter Obi

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that he will not serve as a running mate to any presidential aspirant in the 2027 general election, insisting that his ambition is to contest as president.

Obi made the declaration on Sunday night during an X Spaces conversation, where he spoke extensively on his political future, leadership vision, and preparedness to govern Nigeria.

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The former Anambra State governor stressed that he had acquired sufficient experience in both the private sector and public service, making it unnecessary for him to seek the position of Vice President.

“I am not travelling round the world to learn governance to be Vice President,” Obi said.

He expressed confidence in his ability to lead the country, stating that he possesses the knowledge and competence required to turn Nigeria around.

“I built my business from scratch and have more experience than any candidate, including the sitting President. Peter Obi will be on the ballot in 2027. I need your support and your prayers,” he added.

Obi’s declaration is expected to shape conversations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly within the Labour Party and among his supporters nationwide.

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Politics

Kwankwaso, Governor Abba Yusuf Set to Dump NNPP for APC in Major Kano Political Realignment

Published

1 day ago

December 29, 2025

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Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the incumbent Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf

Kwankwaso, Governor Abba Yusuf Set to Dump NNPP for APC in Major Kano Political Realignment

Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the incumbent Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf are expected to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in what is being described as a collective decision endorsed by Kano voters and key political stakeholders.

The anticipated move would see both leaders abandon the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), the platform that powered their sweeping victory in the last general election, and align with the ruling APC at the national level.

The development was disclosed by Abdullahi Rogo, Director-General of the Protocol Directorate of the Kano State Government House, during a video statement that has since gained wide circulation.

According to Rogo, extensive political consultations in Kano State were held with influential actors across the state’s political structure, including the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and prominent members of the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

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He said the engagements culminated in a unanimous agreement on the state’s next political direction.

“After our meeting with the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and other members of Kwankwasiyya, we agreed that Kwankwaso and Governor Abba K. Yusuf should join the APC,” Rogo stated.

Rogo stressed that the proposed defection reflects the will of the people of Kano, noting that political decisions must align with the interests and expectations of the electorate.

He described the planned move as a strategic political decision aimed at strengthening Kano State’s influence at the national level, particularly within the framework of federal power.

Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate and one of the most influential figures in northern Nigerian politics, commands a vast grassroots following across Kano and beyond. Governor Yusuf, his longtime ally and political protégé, currently controls the state’s executive arm, making the potential defection highly consequential.

If confirmed, the move would represent a major political boost for the APC in Kano State and could significantly reshape political alignments ahead of future elections in the state and the wider North.