Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has accused the former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of using ex-Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, in an attempt to destabilise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but said party leaders at the time stood firm to defend it.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Friday, Wike said the PDP was once targeted by the ruling government but survived due to strong internal resistance and unity among its members — a situation he said is now the reverse.
“When a party takes a wrong step, it achieves nothing,” the minister said. “Sidelining people in decision-making leads to embarrassing factions. We can’t discuss a national convention when processes aren’t followed.”
He continued: “Under Buhari, the government tried to scatter PDP. In fact, Modu Sheriff was being used to scatter PDP then. We stood firm and made sure the party was strong.”
According to Wike, the current crisis within the PDP is self-inflicted.
“Now, there is not even any attempt by any government to destroy the PDP. You are the one on your own destroying your party,” he declared.
He criticised the tendency of current PDP leaders to exclude others from decision-making, warning that impunity and arrogance have replaced internal democracy.
“When you take the wrong step, you achieve nothing. You go and take decisions and sideline people — what do you expect to have? You have factions. It’s embarrassing,” he said.
Wike, who served as Rivers State governor and a key PDP powerbroker, said the current party leadership has failed to learn from history. “We were governors before, and it never happened this way,” he said. “Today, you can see there’s no leadership, no responsibility, no commitment.”
Boluwatife Enome
