The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused and tagged key figures within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of engaging in deception and undermining judicial authority amid the party’s protracted leadership crisis, warning that attempts to impose parallel structures threaten democratic order.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike directly criticised factions reportedly aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and former minister Taminu Turaki, dismissing their moves to establish an interim leadership arrangement as unlawful and misleading.
According to the minister, any structure not grounded in judicial recognition lacks legitimacy.
“When will people stop being fraudulent?” Wike said.
“You cannot ignore court judgments and then attempt to convince Nigerians that what you have put together is a valid leadership. That is not democracy.”
He further argued that the legitimacy of party leadership must be anchored in due process and legal backing, stressing that improvised arrangements outside established frameworks only deepen internal instability.
Moreover, he maintained that claims of a caretaker leadership were inconsistent with existing court pronouncements.
Wike also challenged those behind the alleged parallel structure to demonstrate its authenticity publicly.
“You cannot sit in your private space and announce a national leadership,” he said.
“Let them establish an office and openly operate as the PDP secretariat if they believe what they have is legitimate.”
In addition, the minister described ongoing efforts to create what he termed an “illegal caretaker committee” as a deliberate attempt to mislead party members and the wider public.
He insisted that the judiciary had already clarified the appropriate leadership pending a properly constituted convention.
“The court has clearly indicated who should manage the affairs of the party for now,” Wike stated. “Disregarding that and forming another structure is nothing short of fraud.”
Furthermore, he expressed concern over what he described as declining institutional integrity, accusing some senior political actors and legal practitioners of prioritising personal interests over adherence to the rule of law.
“Those who should defend the law are the ones distorting it,” he said. “That is deeply troubling for our political system.”
The latest remarks underscore the deepening divisions within the PDP, as rival camps continue to clash over control of the party’s leadership structure, raising fresh concerns about unity ahead of future political contests.
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