By Deborah Nnamdi
President Bola Tinubu has openly signaled his readiness to receive the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike into the All Progressives Congress (APC) should he decide to switch parties from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tinubu said the APC is open to receiving Wike whenever he decides to switch to the ruling party.
President Tinubu spoke on Wednesday while commissioning the Arterial Road N16 (Shehu Shagari Way) from Ring Road One (Nnamdi Azikiwe Way) to Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Road) and some other roads in Katampe District.
“We have somebody—Nyesom Wike—he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet. But the day he changes his mind and registers with the progressives, we will welcome him. Because we will enjoy singing ‘as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us,’” Tinubu said, drawing laughter from the crowd and Wike himself.
The president said with Wike, APC “will continue to be in a joyous mood” while the party’s rivals would continue to “writhe in pain.”
Wike is currently a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Wike, though officially a PDP member, has been a prominent supporter of Tinubu since the 2023 general election. After the PDP’s internal fallout following its presidential primaries, Wike declined to support the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar and instead threw his weight behind Tinubu.
Appointed FCT Minister in August 2023 by the APC-led administration, Wike has since pledged allegiance to President Tinubu’s leadership, even vowing to spearhead his re-election campaign in Rivers State come 2027.
PDP is having leadership issues that date back to the build-up of the 2023 presidential election.
The tensions over Wike’s divided loyalties have resulted in several splits within the PDP and calls for Wike to be expelled from the party have met with challenges from Wike’s loyalist faction.
