Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday intensified the war of words within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing rival factions of undermining the rule of law and engaging in what he described as “fraudulent politics” amid the party’s lingering leadership crisis.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja, the former Rivers State governor took aim at groups allegedly aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and ex-Minister Taminu Turaki, over moves to establish what he termed an illegal leadership structure within the opposition party.
Wike dismissed reports suggesting the existence of any interim or caretaker arrangement, insisting that only a leadership recognised by the courts has the authority to manage the party’s affairs pending a properly constituted national convention.
He warned that attempts to create parallel structures outside judicial pronouncements risk deepening divisions within the PDP and misleading party members.
“You cannot disobey court judgments and then claim legitimacy. That is not how democracy operates,” Wike said, stressing that adherence to legal processes remains fundamental to the party’s stability.
The minister further challenged those behind the alleged moves to test the credibility of their claims publicly, arguing that legitimacy cannot be declared without institutional backing.
According to him, the courts have already provided clarity on who should steer the party’s affairs, and any deviation from that position amounts to a breach of the law.
Wike also expressed concern over what he described as a decline in respect for legal institutions, accusing some political actors and senior lawyers of prioritising personal interests over constitutional order.
“It is troubling when those expected to uphold the law are seen bending it for convenience,” he said.
The renewed outburst underscores the deepening internal rift within the PDP, as competing interests continue to jostle for control of party structures ahead of future electoral contests. Analysts say the crisis, if unresolved, could weaken the opposition’s cohesion at a critical political moment.
