I Didn’t Engage in Anti-Party Activities During 2023 Elections

I Didn’t Engage in Anti-Party Activities During 2023 Elections – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has maintained that he did not engage in anti-party activities, despite backing President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during a live media parley on Monday, Wike clarified that his stance stemmed from the party leadership’s decision to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, despite earlier agreements in favour of a Southern presidential candidate—prompting him to withdraw his support.

In 2023, did I not tell you that I wouldn’t support their presidential candidate? I said, based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should go to the South because you can’t have that and the national chairman at the same time.

“You therefore take one and give us one. Believing that Atiku would win, they said to hell (with it), and I said I was not going to support.

Wike questioned the basis of the anti-party accusations against him, saying, “So why didn’t I leave the PDP and join the APC? Among all of us at the time and even current PDP governors, who delivered a 100 percent win in the National Assembly? Who produced a governor? Ask them how many senators they have in their respective states.”

He continued, “Bode George openly supported the Labour Party, but I made it clear I wouldn’t support Peter Obi. I’m a politician, and I said even if you support him, he can’t win the election—so let’s put sentiment aside. George and others had all agreed we should support a Southern candidate.”

“So, what wrong did I commit by supporting Tinubu of the APC? If I truly played anti-party politics, the PDP wouldn’t have won the governorship and National Assembly seats in Rivers. In fact, Rivers was the only state that delivered such a significant victory for the PDP.”