The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has hit back at critics who previously accused him of working to weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that many of those who once lambasted him are now defecting into the APC.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday during the flag-off of construction works on the main carriageways of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) in Abuja, linking Ring Road 1 to Ring Road 2 via Wassa Road.
“I have been watching on daily television and social media people who said I want to destabilise the party, I am working for the APC. All of them are now in the APC,” Wike said. “So, which means if it is true, they should commend me for working for where they are heading. I should be commended for doing a good job for them.”
Wike’s remarks come amid a wave of high-profile defections from the PDP to the ruling APC. On Tuesday, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah publicly announced his exit from the PDP and joined the APC, along with many elected officials in the state.
Also cited among recent defectors is Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, whose move away from the PDP raised further speculation about shifting alliances in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Wike said these developments have vindicated his political choices and underscored what he described as “visionary leadership” under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He argued that under Tinubu’s administration, states and the FCT no longer have to run to banks to borrow just to pay salaries or fund basic projects — instead, states are now being courted by financial institutions.
“I was a governor for eight years, and I know what it meant to run around banks to borrow money for projects and even to pay salaries. But today, by the decisive leadership of Mr President, banks are now the ones running after states.”
He also emphasized that visible infrastructure developments in the FCT are a testament to the Tinubu administration’s priorities
Wike’s statement is sure to stir debate, particularly among those who have long opposed his alignment with the APC-led federal government while formally remaining in the PDP. His critics may argue that defection is a natural political progression, whereas his supporters would see it as validation of his foresight.
The mass exodus of governors and party officials from the PDP adds momentum to the APC’s dominance, but it also raises questions about internal party dynamics, loyalty, and whether such moves are driven by principle or political expediency.
For now, Wike appears to be leveraging the defections as proof that those who once attacked him were simply on the wrong side of history — and now, by joining the APC, they are implicitly endorsing his stance.
