PDP Crisis: Wike taunts Makinde, Turaki faction, dares them to open account, secretariat
PDP Crisis: Wike taunts Makinde, Turaki faction, dares them to open account, secretariat
By Idun Maximus
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday unleashed a blistering attack on rival factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Taminu Turaki (SAN), and others, accusing them of fraud, deceit, and flagrant disregard for court rulings amid the party’s protracted leadership crisis.
Speaking during a live media chat with journalists in Abuja, the former Rivers State governor dismissed claims of an “interim” or “caretaker” leadership as illegal and deceptive, insisting that only a court-recognised structure can legitimately run PDP affairs ahead of the 2027 elections.
“When will people stop being fraudulent? You cannot disobey court judgments and then turn around to deceive Nigerians that you have a legitimate structure. That is not how democracy works,” Wike said.
He challenged the rival camp to prove their authenticity by opening an official PDP bank account and secretariat, daring them to test their claims publicly.
“You cannot continue to deceive Nigerians. If they are sure they are the authentic leadership of the PDP, let them open an official PDP account and tell party members to pay nomination fees into it,” Wike said.
Targeting Turaki directly, he added: “Let Turaki, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly for members who want to contest elections. That day, you will see what will happen.”
Wike explained that no bank would honour such an account without the party’s authentic documents and recognised leadership. “That bank will be in trouble because to open such an account, you must provide the party’s authentic documents and recognised leadership. Who has those documents?” he queried.
The FCT minister also vowed to seal any illegal PDP office opened in Abuja. “You don’t form a leadership in your bedroom and call it a national structure. Let them open an office anywhere and call it the PDP secretariat I dare them. That is how you know what is real and what is not,” he stated.
“If anybody goes ahead to open an illegal office in the name of the PDP in Abuja, I will seal it. I will not allow any breach of peace because my duty is to maintain law and order in the Federal Capital Territory,” he warned.
Wike lambasted the “illegal caretaker arrangement” as a ploy to mislead members and the public, emphasizing judicial clarity on the leadership and convention disputes. “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 charged.
He dismissed rival reinterpretations of Supreme Court rulings, saying: “People should stop deceiving Nigerians. The judgments are clear. You cannot ignore court decisions and begin to create parallel structures.”
The minister decried the erosion of integrity among political actors, including senior lawyers and party leaders. “People you expect to uphold the law are the ones trying to bend it. That is the tragedy of our system,” he lamented.
Wike affirmed his commitment to the PDP, positioning his stance as a defense of constitutional order and due process amid the party’s internal battles over conventions, caretaker setups, and national officer recognition.
