Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed accusations by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, that he was an agent planted by All Progressives Congress (APC) to destroy Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike spoke with journalists on Wednesday while inspecting ongoing projects in Jahi and Kuje districts of Abuja.
He said the claim by Mohammed was “embarrassing, baseless and a product of an unstable and inconsistent mind-set.
“Why can’t we tell Nigerians the simple truth? These accusations of me being planted is not new. They have always accused me and all those who accused me, where are where now? They’re in APC.
“So, who now has told the truth? If you’re accusing me that I’m the agent to destroy your party, you (Bala Mohammed) have now left your party to join them. I am not there. So, who has told the truth?
“I have said I will not leave PDP. I have said that I will continue to support Mr. President because that has been my position from 2022 to 2023. And people should come out and tell people the truth.”
Wike dismissed the Bauchi State governor as an inconsistent politician. He alleged that before the recent PDP national convention stance, Mohammed had approached him and asked to produce the PDP national secretary, a request he said was declined.
Wike stated, “But, luckily, if you heard what he said, he said he has tried. That he has now seen that even APC does not want him. Even the PDP does not want him again. So, the only alternative he has to go to ADC.
“But this was the same man, and I want Nigerians to hear, in 2022-2023 when the president emerged as the presidential candidate of APC, this same BalaMohammed, no shame, no character, flew down to Port Harcourt to meet me that ‘look, we have to work for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, that he can never work with Atiku.
“It didn’t take days, the same man, who came to lure me has now moved to the same Atiku. Even this meeting he came to meet me, he said, ‘you know that Atiku hates me’. That’s why we should make sure that since he cannot go to APC, let us be in the PDP.
“I agreed. The same man now has also moved to the same Atiku’s party. What kind of character? This is what I have always said. They don’t even know that Nigerians are watching them.
“It’s very embarrassing. He (Bala Mohammed) says one thing in the morning, in the afternoon he says a different thing. But for us, we are very happy that he has told Nigerians who he is —that he’s never been stable.”
Wike mocked Mohammed’s demand for the position of National Secretary of PDP for his faction, describing him as a “conquered person” who should negotiate from a position of weakness, rather than asking for the most important position.
“You’re already conquered, you lost. You’re talking from a weak point and you want to demand secretary? That is not done,” Wike said.
Wike said the PDP convention had silenced doubters, who predicted its failure, saying the convention has shown that PDP is alive and kicking.
He also reaffirmed his intent to remain in PDP, while vowing his support for Tinubu.
Wike stated, “I have made it clear, I will not leave the PDP, but I will continue to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That has always been my position, since 2022. I didn’t hide. Unlike those who will say one thing in the morning and say another in the afternoon.”
Mohammed had recently on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily programmeaccused the FCT minister of political witch-hunt and threatening to stoke fire in his state.
He accused Wike of being the mastermind of the court case instituted against him on the basis of the petition to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the accountant-general of Bauchi State accusing him of corruption and alleged terrorism financing.
Mohammed criticised Tinubu for surrounding himself with charlatans, particularly Wike, who “is a drag on the administration”. He said Wike was bent on destroying him.
The Bauchi State governor said of Wike, “He wants to destroy me because he is an undertaker in our party. He is not there (APC) as a genuine member of the PDP. And I fault him. I was even in the secretariat when he went there to take over.
“You can’t be at two places at the same time. It is against the law of nature. You cannot be a man and a woman at the same time. He is with them.”
Olawale Ajimotokan
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