Wike Denies Promising to ‘Hold Down’ PDP For Tinubu’s Re-Election

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied claims that he pledged to President Bola Tinubu to “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing the allegation as false and politically motivated.

Wike’s denial came on Monday during an end-of-year media briefing, following comments by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who last week alleged that Wike had voluntarily offered to suppress the opposition party to facilitate Tinubu’s re-election. Wike dismissed the claim as “a blatant lie” and suggested that Makinde’s statement reflected frustration and a lack of political discipline.

“Seyi Makinde has never called me Wike. That is the first time I have heard him calling me Wike. It’s unfortunate,” Wike said. “First of all, you ask yourself, what was that meeting? What was the purpose of that meeting? That would have led me to say, Mr President, I will hold PDP down for you. There was no such meeting.”

Wike clarified that he, Makinde, and former governors Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi met the president after the 2023 elections to discuss post-election matters, with the Chief of Staff present. “I was the one who said, look, Chief of Staff, come and sit down so we can remind the president of what we have discussed. There was nothing like a meeting; we booked to go and see Mr President. So, it is completely out of place for anybody to say that in that meeting I told Mr President that I would hold PDP down for him,” he stated.

Describing Makinde’s allegation as “very, totally unfair,” Wike attributed it to the governor’s frustration and lack of political experience. “Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. Politics has different rules,” he said, emphasising that political ambitions must be pursued within established norms.

During engagements in Emohua and Isiokpo Local Government Areas of Rivers State on Tuesday, Wike also addressed issues of political loyalty and strategic alignment. He cautioned that joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) or expressing allegiance to President Tinubu does not automatically guarantee political advancement. He stressed that political relevance must be earned through consistent action and adherence to agreements.

“If you know you can’t abide by any agreement, don’t go into it. If you know you can’t keep it, don’t go into it. Anything I will not do, I will say I will not do it,” Wike said, in remarks widely interpreted as referencing Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, who recently joined the APC.

At a special Christmas carol event organised by his supporters in Rivers State last Saturday, Wike also warned against political opportunism surrounding state resources, citing Fubara’s disclosure of N600 billion in the state coffers.

“If you have experience in Nigerian politics, Nigerian politicians like Rivers’ money. I can tell you that. Go and study it,” Wike said. “If you want to make money in Rivers today, I don’t know how you made the mistake of announcing that there is N600 billion. By announcing that, it has opened the whole thing. Every day they print on one front page and say, ‘they adopt so-and-so person,’ they collect. Everybody who comes to Rivers State today must say, ‘the president is happy with you,’ and they collect.”

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