The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday intensified his criticism of factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of disregarding court rulings and engaging in what he described as fraudulent political arrangements.
His remarks follow renewed disputes between rival camps in the party, including groups aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and those loyal to Wike, over control of party structures.
The controversy deepened after the Wike-backed faction rejected what it called an unauthorised National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, as well as the announcement of a caretaker committee reportedly headed by Tanimu Turaki. The faction insisted that no valid NEC meeting was held and maintained that Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remain the legitimate party officials.
It also cited the Supreme Court’s April 30 ruling, which nullified the Makinde-backed PDP convention in Ibadan that produced the Turaki-led leadership, further escalating the leadership dispute within the party.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja, Wike criticised attempts to establish what he described as illegitimate leadership structures, insisting that only authorities recognised by the courts can lawfully manage the party’s affairs.
He dismissed claims of any valid interim arrangement, arguing that such moves amount to deception and a disregard for the rule of law.
“When will people stop being fraudulent? You cannot disobey court judgments and then turn around to deceive Nigerians into believing you have a legitimate structure. That is not how democracy works,” he said.
Wike warned against the creation of parallel leadership structures, stressing that legitimacy must be rooted in legal recognition.
“You cannot form a leadership in your bedroom and call it a national structure. Let them open an office anywhere and call it PDP secretariat I dare them. That is how you distinguish what is real from what is not,” he added.
He further alleged that some party leaders were attempting to establish an illegal caretaker arrangement despite existing court pronouncements on the leadership dispute.
“The court has made it clear who should run the affairs of the party pending a lawful convention. You cannot ignore that and start setting up another structure. That is fraud 419,” he said.
Wike also expressed concern over what he described as a decline in integrity among political and legal actors, accusing some senior figures of undermining institutions for personal gain.
“Those expected to uphold the law are the ones trying to bend it. That is the tragedy of our system,” he stated.
