by Ola Williams-
In a blistering media chat that pulled no punches, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “not ready” for the 2027 elections — and warned the party may be paving its own path to failure.
“Let’s stop deceiving ourselves,” Wike said during the televised interview. “The PDP is not studying for any exam — it’s pretending. Everyone sees it.”
He criticized the deepening cracks within the party, accusing key figures on both sides of the internal divide of putting personal ambition above the PDP’s collective interests.
“Whether they’re talking about alliances or opposing them, nobody’s being sincere,” he stated. “What’s driving the conversation isn’t strategy — it’s ego.”
Wike specifically pointed to a repeat of the mistakes that haunted the PDP in the 2023 elections, including neglect of zoning arrangements and an overbearing influence of state governors.
“The governors’ forum is acting like the National Working Committee,” he said. “They want to appoint a new secretary, form zoning committees, and take over decision-making. That’s not just unconstitutional — it’s dangerous.”
Reflecting on his much-publicized fallout with the party during the 2022 primaries, Wike said his opposition to former vice president Atiku Abubakar stemmed from principle, not personal grudges.
“Atiku made promises in 2019 and broke them,” he explained. “I couldn’t support him again.”
On the party’s lingering internal crisis, Wike issued a blunt warning: “If we don’t fix this now, there’s nothing to rig. We’ll already have lost.”
Wike, known for his outspoken stance, also addressed his support for President Bola Tinubu, rejecting claims that it indicated defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I didn’t need to join the APC to say someone is doing well,” he said. “But some people sneak to the Villa at night and deny it during the day. That’s cowardice.”
He ended with a final caution to his party: “If the PDP continues like this, I won’t support it in 2027. I don’t do guesswork or play games. Either we fix the party, or we fail — again.”
