Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has linked the recent defection of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 15 other lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deepening internal divisions within the PDP.
Speaking with journalists after inspecting ongoing road projects in Abuja, Wike said he was not informed ahead of the lawmakers’ decision but maintained that they acted within their constitutional rights.
“It’s unfortunate. I have always said everybody has the right to make a choice. The party is fully factionalized. And the Constitution requires that when a party is factionalized, members are allowed to leave,” he said.
Wike emphasized that despite the mass defection, he remains a member of the PDP, noting that the party still has a sizeable number of lawmakers who chose to stay.
“I’m still in the PDP… I believe 16 or 17 of them have left out of 27. We still have about 10, and we will continue to work together,” he said, urging the party’s leadership to “put its house in order” to prevent further weakening of its structure.
The minister also dismissed recent rumours that he had been arrested in France, describing them as politically motivated falsehoods aimed at distracting him.
“People would like to distract you. But the moment you are focused, you know what you are doing, you will not be perturbed,” he said, recalling earlier claims that he had been flown abroad for medical treatment.
Wike reiterated that his priority is to deliver on the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu, adding that continued performance will silence critics.
“When they carry these kinds of lies, at a point, people will no longer read the junk they tell. Critics will always try to play politics. So just focus,” he said.
In recent months, Wike has intensified oversight of key projects across the FCT, making infrastructure delivery a core priority under the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to boost development and security.
