The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed as false Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State’s allegation that he offered to “hold” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Bola Tinubu.
Wike made the rebuttal on Monday during his end-of-year media chat in Port Harcourt, describing the claim as a blatant lie.
Governor Makinde had recently told journalists that Wike, during a visit to the State House in 2024, promised President Tinubu that he would hold the PDP for him.
Reacting, Wike said the meeting with the President had nothing to do with the PDP but was merely to express support for Tinubu’s leadership.
“Seyi said I told Tinubu that I will hold PDP for him. Nothing like that happened,” Wike said. “Everyone knows my stand on Tinubu. I don’t need a meeting to tell him that.”
He added that his political position had always been public and consistent, stressing that no private discussion was required to restate it.
Wike further explained that, as a minister, his responsibility was to ensure that members of the G-5 benefited from the Tinubu administration in one way or another.
The FCT Minister alleged that Governor Makinde’s comments were driven by anger over President Tinubu’s refusal to approve his preferred nominee for a ministerial appointment.
“He is angry because the President did not take his candidate as a minister, and that does not give him the right to go on national television to lie against people,” Wike said.
He also noted that, contrary to insinuations, Makinde had received more tangible support from President Tinubu’s administration than he had, citing the N50 billion grant approved for victims of the January 2024 explosion in Bodija, Ibadan.
Wike maintained that the Oyo State governor owed the people of the state an explanation on how the funds were utilised, adding that such expenditure ought to have been properly appropriated before being spent.
