The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency are using the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to destabilise and weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media aide, made this claim during a television interview on Monday, accusing the APC of turning the PDP into a “playground” to deepen its internal crisis and extend it to other opposition parties, with Wike acting as its “Man Friday.”
Ibe stated, “I still restate that the process to bring back the party from the precipice is still ongoing. You know what has been going on in the PDP. So let’s not try and use the PDP as a benchmark.
“You and I know, and Nigerians know, that the PDP has become a playground for the APC in the quest to destroy the opposition parties. Not just the PDP but even the Labour (Party) using the FCT minister. He is a man Friday who has a mandate.
“His mandate is to kill the PDP. Use your tongue to count your teeth. That is the only mandate that he has in the PDP: to kill it. It’s not a question of evidence; everybody knows that.”
In response, Bala Ibrahim, the National Publicity Director of the APC, dismissed the claims and questioned the logic of assigning Wike, who remains a PDP member, such a role.
Ibrahim said, “Wike is not a card-carrying member of the APC, and he has not come out to say he is dancing to the music of the APC. He has not denied the fact that he is a card-carrying member of the PDP.
“So why are they trying to ascribe to Wike what he has not ascribed to himself? Wike has not said that he is being teleguided or being used by the APC to do the bidding of the party. Are they afraid of calling a spade a spade by confronting him directly and asking him the questions they are asking other people?
“These questions should be directed at Wike. The PDP is running away from the challenge before it. The APC has got more on its hands than to subjugate Wike to be doing its bidding. Wike is a man of himself. He was a governor, lawyer, and now minister.
“Even if there is going to be an alliance, it is going to be one of willing parties. Let them not run away from the fact that the problem is internal. They are the ones that are having problems within their party. They are throwing the ball at the wrong court.”
