Wike: Nigeria would’ve been in crisis if G5 didn’t work against Atiku in 2023 election

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says the activities of the G5 Governors stabilised the country, following the group’s decision in the 2023 election.

The group led by Wike supported President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar.

The G5 members included Wike, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Governors Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

Speaking during a meeting with the PDP stakeholders under the aegis of ‘Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP’ across the country in Abuja on Monday, June 9, 2025, Wike stressed the need to respect the constitutions of the party and Nigeria.

The minister said: “You may like us, you may hate us; the truth of the matter is if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis.

“It doesn’t matter who the beneficiary was, but the right thing had to be done, and we still stand by that decision.

“We have continued to emphasise that the party’s constitution and that of the country should be respected.

“If the party had listened to what we said, we wouldn’t have been where we are today.”

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He added that the PDP should not be allowed to die, describing the concerned stakeholders as those who believe in the survival of the party.

“All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party, not just talking on television or in the newspapers, but committed to the party at various levels,” he said.

Wike stressed that as an opposition party, members of the PDP should not continue to act with impunity, adding that no opposition party acts with impunity.

The former governor of Rivers State said: “Ours is to continue to pacify people and bring them together and desist from saying that they should go to hell.

“Let us not allow greed; let us not allow ego to kill our party.”

On his part, Ortom said no one has contributed to the growth of the PDP more than Wike.

The former governor stated that Tinubu understands that the country should not be a one-party state, which was why he appointed Wike as the FCT minister.

“For whatever reason, PDP made a lot of mistakes and that is why we are where we are today,” Ortom added.

The Star