New FCT Minister Nyesom Wike Defends Ministerial Role Amid Party Scrutiny

Nyesom Wike, the recently sworn-in Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to criticism from within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding his acceptance of a ministerial appointment from President Bola Tinubu.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Wike, who previously served as the Governor of Rivers State, addressed this matter during his inaugural press conference at the FCT Ministry’s office in Abuja on Monday.

The former Rivers governor, who belongs to the opposition PDP, was one of the 45 ministerial nominees successfully screened and confirmed by the Senate several weeks ago….CONTINUE READING

Prior to his appointment, Wike and certain PDP leaders had opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 elections, which ultimately led to Abubakar’s defeat.

In the wake of his ministerial appointment, internal calls within the PDP for Wike’s suspension emerged due to his association with members of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) and his acceptance of the ministerial role.

Wike, however, rebuffed these calls during his press conference, asserting that he had obtained consent from PDP leaders both at the national and state levels before agreeing to the ministerial position.

He dismissed the notion of his suspension as nonsensical and revealed that he had corresponded with various PDP officials, including the acting PDP National Chairman Iliya Damagum, about his involvement in President Tinubu’s cabinet and had received their approval.

The Minister highlighted that President Tinubu had extended invitations to all 36 state governors to recommend individuals for cabinet positions.

Wike underscored the point that PDP governors also submitted names for consideration, indicating a broader party participation in the cabinet selection process.

Wike stated, “The president wrote to all the 36 state governors to bring names of people to appoint. Didn’t PDP governors submit names? Every PDP governor wrote a letter and nominated ten persons for appointment in this (Tinubu’s) government.

Before this appointment came, I wrote to the national party chairman, minority leader of the House of Representatives and Senate, zonal chairman of the party, my state chairman, and my governor.”

As Wike embarks on his ministerial responsibilities, his response underscores the diplomatic and party-consultative dimensions surrounding his acceptance of the role within the context of political dynamics.