Amidst rumuor of his defection from the PDP to APC, and his derogatory description of the APC in time past, immediate past Rivers State Governor and now Minister-designate, Chief Nyesom Wike, has visited the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Gnaduje, in Abuja, on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
Wike, who deliberately worked against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25, 2023 election, had vehemently debunked allegations that he was ever going to join the APC, describing the move as someone running away from Malaria, which is treatable only to go and to embrace Cancer which is a terminal condition.
However, Wike’s acrimonious relationship with the leadership of the PDP, became noticeable when his candidate Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda (now Minority Leader in the 10th Assembly of the House), who also represents Wike’s Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, lost the position of Minority Leader in the House to Hon. Ndudi Elumelu from Delta State in the 9th Assembly.
His disenchantment with the PDP was further aggravated when the party leadership not only wholeheartedly accepted Governor Godwin Obaseki, decamping from APC into the PDP fold but even handed him the guber ticket on a platter of gold, after candidates had already emerged from the party ranks, and even though Wike led the Edo State PDP Governorship campaign Council, his unabated anger eventually led to the removal of his own stooge, Prince Uche Secondus, who he had foisted as the PDP National Chairman.
Wike’s bitterness with the PDP finally crystalized after he lost the 2023 PDP Presidential ticket to Atiku and the refusal of National Party Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who Wike had been very instrumental in ensuring he was unopposed for the the position, to step down, after Atiku emerged, provided the then Rivers Governor with the Cannon fodder to set up the renegade G5 group of PDP Governors and the subsequent ‘Integrity Group’, which dealt a major body blow to the PDP, during the 2023 general elections.
Wike was the first Governor to receive President -Elect Bola Tinubu in his state (Rivers) and his very visible and robust romance and involvement in APC Affairs at the national level, especially in horse trading that led to the emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President, ensured that it was little wonder when his name appeared boldly on the opposition party’s ministerial list and he was subsequently asked to ‘bow and go’ by the Senators during his ministerial screening.
Many were therefore not surprised when new Rivers, Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara pleaded with Wike, during his end of trnure thanksgiving, not to abandon him if he ends up in the ruling APC party, saying: “While we are seeing sign that it’s like you want to go over to the other side with everybody wishing that, please don’t be too far from me because I know that the sharks, the tigers are really around looking for what to hurt. So, being around would continue to guide and put my head straight for the purpose of this state.”
This visit to Ganduje, who he incidentally crossed swords with, even reportedly referring to the then Kano State governor as ‘Gandolar’, when both Governors headed their respective Parties campaign Councils during the Edo State guber election, has now fuelled rife, wildfire like expectations that Nyesom Wike may well be in his way to the APC.
The visit is also coming against the backdrop that PDP leaders, contrary to wide speculations, have refused ,on at least two occasions when they met recently, to expel Nyesom Wike from the party, after his name appeared on the Ministerial nominees list and when he successful passed the Senate screening.
Many polity watches are of the opinion however that the PDP is perhaps waiting patiently for Wike to exhaust all his moves, by finally joining the APC, which will then leave the opposition party with no other option than to legitimately expel him, without raising any further controversy or negative publicity.