The frustrating thing about being in opposition is that you have to fight so many battles with various institutions, like the judiciary and the law enforcement agencies, that are supposed to protect you. One also struggles with those who are supposed to regulate the political parties, like INEC. And ultimately, the media.
Now, let’s get to the point. I do not have to mention the level of confidence Nigerians have in the current arm of the judiciary. The same goes for law enforcement agencies and the INEC. And many would agree with me that the media hardly fact-checks Wike during his media parleys or interviews. Most of his TV interviews seem to suggest that he is the one setting the narrative.
In early August, Wike was prompted on Channels TV on the possibility of him holding a parallel convention, and he refused to deny it. And on September 1, as PDP was planning to inaugurate the convention committee, he and his remaining G5 allies came out to outline some calculatingly confusing conditions for the PDP Convention, with an open threat of sabotaging the event in November. They are threatening a court injunction to stop it altogether, or might hold a parallel Convention, as he was prompted on TV.
I call it calculatedly confusing because they declared to stand against micro-zoning, yet they went on to demand that the chairmanship be micro-zoned to the North Central. They asked for the recommendations of the zoning committee to be respected, but the Wike camp was absent at the inauguration of the committee members. This includes the National Secretary of the PDP and other members of the Board of Trustees, like Ortom.
I may not know what is in Wike’s mind and that of those in his camp, but many will argue against my position when I say they are working to ensure Tinubu remains in power beyond 2027. After all, PDP cannot compensate them with more than what they are being compensated with at the moment.
You get to hear people opine, “Why is PDP not tolerating the shenanigans of Wike and his G5?” Of course, there might be no answer to this question. Some will argue that the cost of expelling or even suspending them outweighs the benefit of doing so. Whatever the case, the public will never understand this.
No one can doubt that Wike and his boys are being used to sabotage the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections. But in truth, it is difficult to deal with them because they are mere puppets. If you look at the issue objectively, they are not the problem. Anyone can be used to act in this manner, as is seen in other opposition parties. But this is not an excuse for the PDP or the opposition leaders.
It is suggested that PDP leadership should discipline Wike and his boys. Doing so will distance the party leadership from Wike’s actions, which will improve the credibility of the party. This will also prove that the PDP leadership is not in alliance with the incumbent government, as speculated in sections of the media.
Personally, I feel PDP should expel or suspend Wike and his boys with immediate effect and damn the consequences, as long as it is within their constitution. However, the impending consequences mean that the weakened judiciary and INEC will likely side with Wike and his allies. A court injunction to stop the Convention may mean no PDP candidate will stand in the 2027 elections, which will be detrimental for the opposition. And by extension, this will favour the incumbent government—APC—as this will ensure Tinubu has no serious challenge come 2027.
But objectively speaking, suspending Wike and his boys will not solve the problem. The main problem is the government in power, which supports individuals like Wike and his associates. Wike is not any kind of special specie. He is a former Governor of Rivers and there have been many other governors before him. He is a minister of the FCT an is being supported by the administrators of the Tinubu administration. And objectively speaking, anyone supported by such institutional power can do what Wike is doing as the opposition parties currently lack the institutional influence to challenge the system.
Let’s not forget that Wike ordered the closure of one of the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service in Abuja. He did so without facing any consequences. We are talking about someone closing down one of the most important financial institutions in the country. But nothing was done to Wike and his boys because he did it to achieve a political agenda—shutting down PDP’s Wadata Plaza. Yes, you hear the allegation that PDP did not pay its ground rent, but did anyone bother to ask for proof? Did the public pay attention to the replies made by the PDP that the allegation was baseless?
Of course, the government is aware of this, and they know the public enjoys these kinds of sensational headlines. This is why we need to pay attention to the projectors who are projecting Wike’s shenanigans.
If Nigeria had a sane government, Wike would have been subjected to various investigations on this matter alone. Not to mention other alleged atrocities. But he remains a Minister of the FCT shielded by multiple institutions because his necessary service remains relevant to this government.
The real danger is that this Wike’s template may spread across the political space, leaving APC as the only party able to field credible candidates in 2027. And we are already seeing the signs.
LP has been consumed by leadership crises since 2023, with Abure and Nenadi factions dragging each other to court over who controls the party structure. The result has forced Peter Obi to join the ADC coalition, like Atiku did with PDP. NNPP is another example. What started as a strong regional Kwankwasiyya movement has now been consumed by legal battles, suspensions and the expulsion of key members and elected officials. In all these, INEC demonstrated the inability to arbitrate impartially.
If left unchecked, the same fate awaits the coalition of ADC. It is already facing tension from many directions. The Nafiu Bala Gombe’s lawsuit is ongoing. Kachikwu is still being a busybody. The state chapters are in disarray. Let’s not even talk about the non-existent ward and LG chapters. With pressure, infiltration, and media-driven scandal, the ADC could easily be reduced to the same state of confusion as the others. The worrying thing is that the media wing of the party is more concerned with suppressing the problems than solving them.
But regardless of what is happening, the public needs to take a step back and focus on the real game played by the APC.
This is how the script works: divide the party from within by employing some useful idiots, amplify the drama through the media, tie it up in endless court cases, and by the time the