Chief Segun Sowunmi, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has identified Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as the most significant challenge facing the party. Wike, who recently completed his tenure as the governor of Rivers State, is a PDP member but now serves in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, which is led by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In an interview with New Telegraph, Sowunmi stated, “I think that is the biggest elephant in our room and that is the biggest challenge that we have in the PDP because as it is now, the major polarizing issue in our party is that.” He expressed concerns about Wike’s continued affiliation with the PDP, questioning whether Wike’s loyalty to the party remains intact.
Sowunmi further noted that while Wike publicly claims to be a PDP member, there are doubts about his commitment to the party. He drew comparisons to past political situations in Nigeria, citing the example of the late Chief Bola Ige, who served in a PDP government while being a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
“There is a precedent for such situations,” Sowunmi explained. “Just because we had a similar case in the past doesn’t mean we have to accept it now. These are the issues that we are currently grappling with.”
He also mentioned that the PDP has established a disciplinary committee to address any potential infractions by party members. “Anyone with tangible evidence of wrongdoing should present it to the disciplinary committee, and we will proceed from there,” Sowunmi added.
