Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says the spate of defectimg party leaders and state governors of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) justifies his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Governors of Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Enugu have crossed from the opposition PDP to President Tinubu’s APC, alongside key PDP figures.
Wike said many defectors were those who once criticised him but had now crossed to become members of the APC.
He spoke on Wednesday at the flag-off of the construction of the main carriageways on the outer southern expressway in Abuja.
According to him, some of the governors had previously criticised him for destabilising the PDP, and working for the APC, adding that the governors should rather commend him for “doing a good job” of paving the way for them to join the ruling party.
“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. So, which means if it is true, they should commend me for working for where they are heading. So, I should be commended for doing a good job for them,” he said.
In the past 48 hours, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, had resigned his membership of the PDP and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, stating that his decision was in the interest of national development under President Tinubu’s leadership.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, also resigned his membership of the party on Wednesday, along with 19 members of the State House of Assembly.
The exit of the duo makes it the fourth PDP governor to defect ahead of the 2027 general elections, bringing the number of PDP governors from 11 as of October 2024, to only eight as of today.
The Minister noted that the governors no longer had excuse as the “decisive leadership” of President Tinubu had ensured that every state had enough resources to pay salaries and embark on credible projects and activities.
“Let every state be sincere to their people, and to Nigerians. I was a governor for eight years. I was a governor running around banks to look for money to do projects. Sometimes, every month, the money that comes will not be enough to pay salaries and all other allowances, not to talk about doing projects.
“Today, by the leadership of somebody, by the decisive leadership of somebody who has made it possible for all the states, and the Federal Capital Territory, not to be running around banks again. Rather, banks are now looking for states to say ‘look, don’t throw us away, we are here’.
“Somebody has made that possible; every state now has money. Not only to pay salaries, not only to carry out government activities, but also to embark on projects. It was not like that before,” Wike said.
He described the decision to defect and support the Tinubu-led administration as “worthwhile”, adding that no governor will leave debts for their successors any longer, as it used to happen before.
“So, if, for that reason, so many people are going to support Mr President, I think it is worthwhile. Now, no governor will talk about leaving debts for his successor, unlike what used to happen before. That is the leadership of somebody.
“And that’s what this country needs for now. Visionary leadership, purposeful leadership, that will be able to take decisions. Decisions that people were running away from taking when they had the opportunity,” he said.
