Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has claimed credit for the rise and dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at both state and national levels, asserting that it was his relentless efforts that made the party a political force in Nigeria.
Wike made the bold remarks during his monthly live media chat in Abuja on Monday while reacting to criticism from PDP chieftain and Board of Trustees member, Chief Bode George, who condemned the recent sealing of the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja over unpaid ground rent.
In a fiery response, Wike dismissed George’s outburst and questioned his relevance in contemporary party politics.
“If an elderly man has no job, he should sit at home and read his newspapers,” Wike said pointedly. “Bode George said PDP made me by giving me a national profile, and I agree. But the party does not make you; you are the one who makes the party win elections.”
He defended the non-payment of the ground rent, stating that neither he nor the party could pay for a property that is not registered in their names. “I cannot pay because, first of all, it is not in my name. They cannot pay because the property is not in their name,” he explained.
Wike, who once served as Rivers State governor and played a key role in PDP campaigns, took a swipe at the performance of the party in Lagos State, George’s political base.
“Ask Bode George who PDP has made popular in Lagos since 1999? You are speaking to someone who has laboured and campaigned for the party to become the major political force at both state and national levels,” he said.
He also reflected on the party’s efforts during the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, hinting at the behind-the-scenes challenges they faced in attempting to secure PDP's national dominance. “Even when Jonathan was in power, we knew what we did for PDP to take over power, but it did not succeed,” he added.
