Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Wike, says the party has already uploaded its candidates for the 2027 general election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dismissing claims that rival groups within the party can validly nominate alternative candidates.……
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Wike, says the party has already uploaded its candidates for the 2027 general election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dismissing claims that rival groups within the party can validly nominate alternative candidates.
Wike made the remarks on Thursday during his monthly media parley while responding to questions about reports that the Taminu Turaki-led faction was considering Jonathan as its presidential candidate.
According to Wike, only the recognised leadership of the PDP has access to INEC’s candidate nomination portal.
“You are the one advertising them. INEC has given access codes to recognised political parties. Have they given him an access code? So which candidate did he sell forms to?” Wike said. “They have given us our access code, and we are uploading our candidates, but you are not uploading your candidates.”
The former Rivers State governor maintained that the recognised leadership of the PDP had already completed the nomination process.
“Will they conduct a separate election? The expected candidates have been uploaded. They have given them their nomination forms to fill. I have seen my own, I have seen the president’s own, so which one are they going to give to whom?” he said.
Wike also downplayed claims that the party was divided into factions, arguing that political disagreements should not be mistaken for a split in the party.
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“The issue of faction, it is you people that are making them believe they are a faction. The fact that somebody disagrees with me doesn’t mean they are a faction,” he said.
“Which senatorial district do they have as a party? They don’t attend INEC meetings, and yet you still call them a faction. Those who are authorised to speak are the recognised leadership of the party.”
Commenting on the state of opposition politics in the country, Wike questioned whether Nigeria currently had a credible opposition capable of challenging the ruling government.
“I thought you said opposition parties. Indeed, are there any opposition parties?” he asked.
“Everybody is pursuing personal ambition. I want to run an election; if I don’t get it in the PDP, I’ll go to the ADC. Does that make you opposition?”
He argued that a genuine opposition would put aside individual interests to present a united front.
“If there’s any opposition fighting the government, the opposition will come together and remove their selfish interests. That’s how opposition works,” he said.
The FCT minister also criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the party was struggling with internal disputes while accusing the government of undermining opposition parties.
“Look at the ADC. You are having problems, you cannot put your house in order, and you are accusing the government of trying to collapse other political parties,” he said.
On the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Wike questioned why the party chose to institute legal proceedings in Lokoja instead of Abuja, where both its headquarters and that of INEC are located.
“NDC went to court to get registered, and the court said no. But one question nobody is asking is this: INEC headquarters is in Abuja, the headquarters of NDC is in Abuja, so what were they looking for in the Lokoja court?” he asked.
“You have the Federal High Court in Abuja, INEC headquarters is here, your party headquarters is here, yet you went to Lokoja to file a suit against INEC, where no attention would be given.”