PDP: Wike challenges Makinde’s faction to open party account, secretariat

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday challenged the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to open an official party bank account and a secretariat if it truly believes it controls the opposition party’s structure. But Makinde’s camp dismissed recent comments by Wike, describing them as baseless and a reflection of “political frustration.” Similarly, PDP chief, Bode George, accused the FCT Minister of destabilising the PDP, describing him as a “political undertaker” whose actions threaten the party’s stability. Wike, who spoke during a live media chat in Abuja, accused leaders of the rival camp of misleading Nigerians and acting in defiance of court judgments in the protracted leadership crisis rocking the PDP. The former governor of Rivers State maintained that the faction opposed to him lacked the legal standing to conduct its affairs. “You cannot continue to deceive Nigerians. If they are sure they are the authentic leadership of the PDP, let them open an official PDP account and ask party members to pay nomination fees into it,” Wike said. He specifically challenged former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), and other leaders of the camp to test the validity of their claims by opening a bank account in the name of the PDP. “Let Turaki, as SAN, open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly for members who want to contest elections. That day, you will see what will happen,” he stated. According to the minister, no bank will recognise such an account because the faction does not possess the legally recognised party structure and documentation required to operate. He added: “That bank will be in trouble because to open such an account, you must provide the party’s authentic documents and recognised leadership. Who has those documents?” BUT in a statement yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Makinde faction, Ini Ememobong, criticised Wike’s remarks, alleging that his recent media outing was marked by “political rascality, moral emptiness and crass opportunism.” The statement said Wike’s comments did not warrant a direct response, describing them instead as his “political swan song” and “the last kicks of a dying horse.” According to the faction, the minister used the platform to malign prominent Nigerians, adding that his conduct has become an embarrassment beyond the country. “This statement is not a response to his tirade, which is indeed his political swan song,” the group said, while apologising to Nigerians for previously providing him with a platform to rise politically. It further advised individuals allegedly defamed by Wike to seek legal redress, stressing that no one should be above the law. “We sympathise with Wike for the pain associated with the realisation that he will not and can never be the national leader of our party, as no such office exists in our constitution,” the statement added. On legal matters referenced by the minister, the faction said it was awaiting the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of court rulings and challenged Wike to publicly clarify the reliefs sought in the cross-appeals filed by his allies and the outcome of the judgments. The group assured Nigerians that truth would prevail despite what it described as attempts to spread misinformation. “No amount of threats will frighten the truth. Though lies may travel faster, they will not diminish the impact of the truth when it emerges,” the statement said. MEANWHILE, speaking in an interview on AriseNews yesterday, George said only President Bola Tinubu could call the former governor to order. George said: “If he says he doesn’t want to do this and that, I will advise the President that if he doesn’t want to be working for him, there is more of what they call a political undertaker. “Somebody needs to talk to him, and the only man to question him is the President.” George criticised Wike’s political conduct within the PDP, questioning what he described as conflicting loyalties between the opposition party and the governing APC. He said, “If he says he is a member of our party, he has appointed somebody now, nominated somebody to be the governorship candidate for APC in Rivers, and he’s also nominated somebody to be PDP governorship candidate. What kind of thing is this? I have never seen anything like this.” The PDP chieftain also accused some party members of refusing reconciliation efforts despite repeated attempts to resolve internal disputes.