‘He’s a force to reckon with’: PDP slams APC govs, defends Wike’s support for Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has defended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu while retaining his party membership.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, who made this known via a statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, described Wike’s decision as a legitimate constitutional right.

Mohammed dismissed the rejection of Wike’s support by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, attributing it to fear and poor governance.

He said APC governors initially mistook Wike’s support for Tinubu as an endorsement of the APC, adding that they later realised that the support did not amount to surrendering political space to the APC.

“The APC governors’ demand that Wike should not field candidates to challenge them is a major miscalculation,” Mohammed said.

Mohammed said the demand exposed the governors’ anxiety over the prospect of facing a stabilised PDP in the 2027 elections.

The PDP chieftain noted that if the APC governors were confident in their records, they should welcome open political competition.

He said the governors should not seek to prevent opposition parties from fielding candidates in the forthcoming elections.

Wike: Tinubu knows about my ‘Rainbow Coalition’

Describing Wike as a proven political asset and mobiliser, Mohammed warned against underestimating his political influence.

“Wike is a force to reckon with, not a force to reject. Those who underestimate his capacity do so at their own political peril,” he added.

The PDP spokesman urged APC governors to focus on accountability and proper management of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) resources.

Mohammed, who said the PDP remained committed to fielding credible candidates for the 2027 general election, stressed that Wike’s political support for Tinubu did not extinguish his rights and responsibilities as a PDP member.