•Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been warned to steer clear of Bauchi State and not attempt to cause any political problems if he does not want any more trouble for himself.
The warning was made by a coalition of youth organisations working for the actualisation of the presidential ambition of Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed Vanguard (BAM-V), reports Nigerian Tribune.
The Coalition also expressed its support for the summoning of Nyesom Wike by the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), saying that it is high time the party sanctioned the former Rivers State Governor for his open anti-party activities.
The development was a reaction to Nyesom Wike’s threat of causing political crises in states being ruled by PDP governors for calling for the party’s structure to be handed over to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
BAM-V, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Comrade Mohammed Abubakar Jibo, made available to newsmen in Bauchi today, declared that PDP should do more than invite the FCT Minister to appear before its disciplinary committee but go ahead to either suspend the former Governor or expel him outright from the party.
This, according to BAM-V, becomes imperative in view of Nyesom Wike’s several anti-party activities, including his openly working against the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, which the group stated contributed to the loss of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, in the election.
While stating that Nyesom Wike’s tirade against PDP Governors was reckless and indecorous, the group asserted that there was nothing wrong with the PDP Governors’ Forum resolution at the meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State, to stand with their Rivers State counterpart, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and their decision to consult with the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to allow the Governor to take over the leadership of the party in his state to warrant Nyesom Wike’s threat to cause crises in PDP in their states.
The statement further contained that “We, at the Bala Andulkadir Mohammed (BAM-V), a coalition of youth organisations for democracy, good governance, and accountability, noted the threats by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to cause political crises in PDP-governed states because of the resolution of the PDP Governors’ Forum for the return of the party’s structure to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the rightful leader of the PDP in Rivers States.”
The BAM-V added that, “There is no doubt that Nyesom Wike’s threat is nothing but reckless and indecorous, coming from someone who has benefitted immensely from PDP, the party he openly worked against its interests in the 2023 presidential election when he supported the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC. In our view, there is nothing more anti-party activity than this.”
According to the coalition, “It is in view of this and other known anti-party activities of the former Rivers governor that we not only back his invitation to face the PDP Disciplinary Committee but also call on the National Working Committee of the party to urgently sanction Wike by either suspending him or giving him an outright expulsion from PDP before he causes further havoc on the party ahead of the 2027 general election.”
It further stated that the FCT Minister’s threat poses danger not only to the PDP’s unity across the country but also to Nigeria’s peace and stability, adding that the founding fathers of the main opposition party never found the party to be turned into a tool of manipulation by any of its members in the country.
According to the group, “PDP as a political party is bigger than any individual, no matter how highly placed such a person may be. We strongly believe that the founding fathers of the party had never intended that it would become a tool of manipulation by any member of the PDP. We make bold to say that Wike’s excess is too much and the same cannot be continuously tolerated any further.”
While commending the Governor Bala Mohammed-led PDP Governors’ Forum for its stance on ensuring that the PDP structure be returned to the Rivers State governor, BAM-V stated that those who assiduously worked to make Nyesom Wike Governor between 2015 and 2023 never hijacked the party structure from him but rather allowed him to assume the leadership of the party in the state.
The group then warned the FCT Minister not to do anything to cause any turmoil in Bauchi State, which it submitted is the most peaceful state in the entire North-East zone.
According to the group, “Governor Bala Mohammed-led PDP administration in Bauchi State has in the last five years worked hard to maintain peace, security, and development in the state. The likes of Wike are not wanted in Bauchi State. The state deserves its peace for its development to continue unabated.”
