Politics

Why I Work With Tinubu — Wike

Published

2 years ago

October 14, 2023

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capita Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, has revealed why he decided to work with President Bola Tinubu in spite of, among other things, being in the opposition party.

Wike, a former two-term governor of Rivers State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made the revelation at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

Wike said President Tinubu has the capacity and political will to take decisions and do things others are afraid of.

According to Wike, “One of the reasons I accepted to work with Mr. President is because he has the capacity and political will to do those things that people are afraid of doing.

“The problem of this country is partly leadership because so many people don’t want to take actions as they believe that some people will be angry.

“There is no action you take that everybody will be happy. But what is important is that you are guided by law and your conscience.”

He then went on to explain the reformations Tinubu has brought to the FCT’s civil service.

FCT Civil Service Commission
Wike said: “The Central bank (CBN) cannot give us loans, and even the IGR is spent as it comes and you cannot tangibly do anything with it.

“I said to Mr. President if you want FCT to really carry out its developmental projects and infrastructure, then it must come out of TSA (Treasury Single Account).

“We (FCT Administration) are not a revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government. Then what financial leakages are you plugging? The revenue comes in and it will go to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and we need money to do projects.

“I cannot go to the Central Bank to ask them to give us money, and I can’t go to the commercial banks. They will ask how do you pay back?

“So, I said we must pull out, that is the only way we can survive it.

“Mr. President graciously agreed with us and approved that we should pull out of the Single Treasury Account. TSA.

“You will see that from next year it will be projects upon projects in FCT. And with what you saw in Port Harcourt, Abuja would be something else. So for us, it is one of the happiest days, and we have to thank Mr. President for the foresight.”

He said for several years, a lot of issues in the FCT were stalled due to lack of political will to see then through.

Political will

The Minister of FCT said: “There is this fear that ‘if I do this, people will kick against it’.

“But it is not personal. It is about the growth of the city, welfare of the civil servants and the interest of the women – our mothers, sisters and wives.

“For many years this fight has been on. But in just few months, Mr. President has done it. That is the essence of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“Civil Servants in the FCTA were stagnated because they could only become directors and not rise to permanent secretaries.

“Before now, then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had, as Acting President, signed a law to create the FCT Civil Service Commission. But the law has never been implemented.

“So, I went to Mr President and explained why we had to implement it in his administration. And he has graciously approved the creation of the Commission.

“Mr President has also approved the creation of a secretariat for women.

“You can imagine having an administration as large as this and there is no secretariat for women.

“So, the President has approved the creation of a Mandate Secretariat for Women Affairs. It is just like we have the Ministry of Women Affairs in the states,” Wike stressed on his work with Tinubu.

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

23 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

2 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”