|By Chinwendu Nwani
The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has reaffirmed that his principal remains a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite rising tension over the party’s forthcoming national convention slated for November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka dismissed claims that Wike was scheming to undermine the PDP ahead of a possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, Wike’s long-standing criticisms of the PDP’s internal leadership were not acts of rebellion but calls for constitutional order and fairness within the party.
“The Minister has continually maintained that he remains in the PDP,” Olayinka stressed. “Everything Wike complained about—the Damagum issue, the party’s refusal to obey Supreme Court rulings—has eventually been accepted by the same people who opposed him.”
He cited the controversies surrounding the positions of the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, saying that Wike’s stance on both matters eventually proved valid after the party’s leadership reversed its earlier opposition.
Olayinka also referenced Tuesday’s Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which restrained the PDP from proceeding with its national convention, arguing that the party had already zoned its key positions contrary to its constitution.
“PDP does not zone positions to North Central, Northeast, or Southwest. The party only zones to the North and South,” he emphasized.
The minister’s aide further denied allegations that Wike was behind the crisis rocking the party, citing the case of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who allegedly paid for a nomination form to contest for national chairman but was denied access to it.
“Did Wike cause that? Even the National Organizing Secretary doesn’t know who’s contesting or where nomination forms are. These are the real issues,” Olayinka stated.
He insisted that many PDP leaders heading to the convention are unaware of the process or even how to obtain nomination forms, underscoring what he described as the party’s deep internal disorganization.
Olayinka maintained that Wike’s struggle is not about power, but about ensuring transparency and respect for the PDP constitution, urging party members to fix internal lapses rather than blame the minister.
