Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has openly challenged the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party allegedly led by Seyi Makinde and Tanimu Turaki to prove its legitimacy by opening an official party secretariat and bank account in Abuja.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike declared that any office opened by the rival faction and presented as the official PDP national secretariat in the FCT would be sealed immediately.
The former Rivers State governor accused the group of attempting to mislead Nigerians and party members by allegedly operating outside legally recognised structures and court-backed leadership arrangements.
“When will people stop being fraudulent? You cannot disobey court judgments and then turn around to deceive Nigerians that you have a legitimate structure.
That is not how democracy works,” Wike stated.
He argued that the faction lacked the legal authority and official party documentation required to operate the affairs of the PDP, particularly in relation to finances and administration.
“You cannot continue to deceive Nigerians. If they are sure they are the authentic leadership of the PDP, let them open an official PDP account and tell party members to pay nomination fees into it,” he said.
Wike further challenged Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to personally open a bank account for the PDP if the faction genuinely believed it controlled the party.
“Let Turaki, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly for members who want to contest elections.
That day, you will see what will happen. He will lose his silk,” he added.
According to the FCT minister, no commercial bank would process such a request because the rival group allegedly does not possess the authentic incorporation and leadership documents of the party.
“That bank will be in trouble because to open such an account, you must provide the party’s authentic documents and recognised leadership. Who has those documents? Who has the certificate of incorporation?” Wike queried.
He also dismissed the faction’s reported attempts to establish what he described as an illegal caretaker structure, insisting that leadership cannot emerge outside constitutional and judicial processes.
“You don’t form a leadership in your bedroom and call it a national structure. Let them open an office anywhere and call it PDP secretariat — I dare them. That is how you know what is real and what is not,” he said.
The development is the latest sign of deepening internal divisions within the PDP ahead of the 2027 political cycle, with competing blocs continuing to battle over control of the party’s national structure.
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