*Says Gov. Makinde “Not My Friend, Just A Political Associate”
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike ignited fresh controversy within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, labeling National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum a “complete political tax collector” and “very, very corrupt” during a fiery appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. In a tense exchange with host Seun Okinbaloye, Wike stood firm on his allegations, daring Damagum to take him to court for defamation, while clarifying that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is “not my friend; he’s just a political associate”.
The barbs came amid escalating PDP turmoil, including a court ruling suspending the party’s national convention and the high-profile defection of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike’s comments painted a picture of a party riddled with “impunity” and financial impropriety, though he appeared to contradict himself later in the interview by linking U.S. President Donald Trump’s “genocide” allegations against Christians in Nigeria to an opposition scheme aimed at derailing President Bola Tinubu’s potential 2027 reelection bid, despite earlier insisting the claims were baseless misinformation.
The interview’s flashpoint erupted when Okinbaloye pressed Wike on his support for Damagum’s elevation as acting chairman a move Wike said was to honor a zoning agreement among PDP governors. But Wike quickly turned accusatory, alleging Damagum’s betrayal and greed.
“You see, as a tax collector you will always be [Damagum],” Wike declared, referring to the PDP’s factional infighting.
“But he doesn’t work at FIRS,” Okinbaloye interjected, referencing Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service.
“It doesn’t need to work with FIRS; complete political tax collector,” Wike shot back, implying Damagum’s alleged penchant for extracting financial favors in political deals. He escalated further: “Very, very corrupt… Let him go to court and sue me and say, ‘Look, this is what he said about me.’ He knows he cannot.”
Wike claimed evidence of Damagum’s misconduct, including taking “money in Lagos” and ignoring legal advice on party procedures, but refused to divulge specifics on air. “We are not a court of law… I know what I’m saying is correct. Nobody can dispute it,” he insisted, positioning his criticisms as a crusade against “impunity” that has hollowed out the PDP.
The remarks followed violent protests at the PDP’s Wuse Zone headquarters in Abuja, where supporters of a rival factional chairman stormed the premises demanding Damagum’s immediate exit. Wike linked the chaos to a recent Federal High Court judgment 95 pages long that halted the PDP’s November 15–16 convention for failing to issue proper 21-day notices signed by both chairman and secretary, as required by the party constitution and the Electoral Act.
Wike’s interview also exposed deepening rifts within the Integrity Group (G5) governors’ bloc he once led. When pressed on his ties to Makinde, a fellow G5 member and rumored 2027 PDP presidential contender, Wike was unequivocal: “Seyi Makinde is not my friend; he’s just a political associate.”
The clarification came as Okinbaloye grilled Wike on accusations of betrayal, noting Makinde’s subtle support for Tinubu in 2023 despite PDP affiliation. Wike recounted personal outreach, including consoling Makinde after his brother’s death and warning him against “destroying the party.” “I told him, the way you are going, you will destroy the party… You’re my brother. Calm down. Take it easy,” Wike said. But he lamented Makinde’s refusal to heed advice, adding, “If it’s ‘member-be-male,’ what is the opposite of it if he’s not done well?”
On Makinde’s potential presidential run, Wike dismissed speculation as “crap,” emphasizing that credentials like engineering or PhD qualifications don’t guarantee viability. “It’s not waking up in the morning [saying] I want to be a presidential candidate… Some people just want to run to be president [but] become leader of the party,” he scoffed. Asked if he’d back Makinde’s ticket, Wike deferred: “Let us get to convention first.”
Wike’s interview took a perplexing turn when discussing Trump’s recent threat of U.S. military “engagement” in Nigeria over purported Christian “genocide.” As a Christian whose father is a pastor, and serving in a government with Christian-led security agencies, Wike initially decried the claims as “politics taken too far,” calling them an “indictment” of his faith and family. “Nobody will be happy for the death of anybody, whether a Christian or a Muslim,” he said, praising Tinubu’s anti-terrorism investments and rejecting notions of government complicity.
Yet, in a seeming self-contradiction, Wike, who claimed to be in opposition, accused the opposition of deliberately fueling the narrative to incite foreign intervention and block Tinubu’s second term, saying this without providing any evidence to support his claim. “The opposition today has seen that no party is ready… to challenge [his] return to power. Now what do we do? Bring up such things that divide the country,” he charged, drawing parallels to tactics allegedly used in 2015 that undermined Goodluck Jonathan. “It is very obvious… the opposition uses external forces to make sure [Jonathan] doesn’t win the election.”
Wike celebrated Diri’s APC defection as validation of his warnings, quipping that the Bayelsa governor should “pay me” for “making [him] see the light.” He lamented the PDP’s “empty” shell but blamed “arrogant” governors flush with state funds for the implosion. “The kind of money in the hands of the governors now [is] so much… Not to use [it] to scatter a party that built you,” he said.
Despite the barbs, Wike left the door open for reconciliation: “Let’s do the right thing. Remove ego… Had [we] move forward.” As the PDP grapples with expiring leadership terms and potential factional paralysis, his words underscore a party on the brink, where personal feuds and procedural lapses threaten outright extinction ahead of 2027.
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