Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has boldly declared that he was instrumental in making the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a dominant political force in Nigeria, both at state and national levels.
Speaking during his monthly live media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike responded to recent criticisms from Chief Bode George, a senior member of the PDP Board of Trustees. George had condemned the sealing of the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja over unpaid ground rent — an action tied to Wike’s office as FCT Minister.
Wike said neither he nor the PDP could pay the rent because the property isn’t registered in their names.
“I cannot pay because, first of all, it is not in my name. They cannot pay because the property is not in their name.”
He fired back at the elder statesman, saying:
“If an elderly man has no job, he should sit at home and read his newspapers.”
Wike acknowledged PDP gave him national visibility but stressed he was the one who delivered electoral victories and popularized the party:
“You are speaking to me, someone who has laboured and campaigned for the party to become the major political force at both state and national levels.”
He took a swipe at Bode George’s performance in Lagos, questioning the PDP’s lack of growth there since 1999:
“Ask Bode George who PDP has made popular in Lagos since 1999?”
Wike also referenced the Goodluck Jonathan era, claiming he and others worked tirelessly for PDP to regain power but were unsuccessful due to internal dynamics.