Wike: No PDP member can say I’m an outsider… I dare anyone to call me a mole

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says no member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can describe him as an ”outsider” or a “mole” over alleged anti-party activities.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Wike said members of the PDP wrote to President Bola Tinubu to nominate people for appointment.

The FCT minister challenged PDP leaders, governors, and members to publicly defend on live national television their claims of his opposition to the party’s interests.

“There is nobody, no governor today in PDP, not anybody born of a woman can say I am an outsider. I dare anybody in the PDP to come out on national television. I dare any governor, I dare any national working committee member to come out on national television to say I am a mole,” he said.

“Before I took this appointment, I wrote to PDP. I wrote to PDP national; I wrote to PDP zonal; I wrote to PDP in my state. My governor also signed a letter that I should take the appointment. Yes, it’s true. The zonal party wrote that I should accept.

“Who in the PDP did not write or nominate names by President Tinubu for appointment?

“They did. Yes! Let them come to say they did not do it. You see the problem we have in this country is that some people think they are too smart, they want to use people. I’m not that kind of person. What I want to do, I will do. What I will not do, everybody knows I won’t do it.”

Wike said despite his support for Tinubu in the 2023 elections, the PDP won governorship and national assembly elections in Rivers.

The minister said he supported Tinubu on the basis of justice and fairness, adding that he is still a leader of the party in the state.

“In 2023, did I not say I won’t support you for president? Did I do it at the back? Did I not say I won’t support this? It’s not fair, it’s against equity, it’s against justice.

“Did I do it at the back? Did the PDP not win the governorship? Did the PDP not win the national assembly? Did they not win the state assembly?

“I challenge any of them, let us see in any of these states they are criticising whether they have a 100 percent as we have. What does that tell you? Leadership.”

In August 2023, Tinubu appointed Wike as the minister of FCT.

On June 5, 2024, the president said Wike was one of the best appointments he made since the start of his administration.