Wike accuses PDP faction of defying court judgments

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday intensified his criticism of factions within the Peoples Democratic Party, accusing them of disregarding court judgments and engaging in what he described as fraudulent political arrangements.

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Wike’s comments come in the wake of fresh disputes between rival camps, including groups aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and those in the Wike-backed faction, over control of party structures.

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The controversy followed the rejection by the Wike-backed PDP of what it described as an unauthorised National Executive Committee meeting and the announcement of a caretaker committee reportedly led by Tanimu Turaki.

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The faction insisted that no valid NEC meeting was convened and maintained that Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remain the recognised party officials.

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It also referenced the Supreme Court’s April 30 ruling which nullified the Makinde-backed PDP convention in Ibadan that produced the Turaki-led leadership, deepening the dispute over legitimacy within the party.

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Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja, Wike specifically criticised attempts to establish what he called illegitimate leadership structures within the PDP, insisting that only court-recognised authorities can lawfully run the affairs of the party.

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He dismissed claims of any valid interim arrangement in the PDP, insisting that such actions amounted to deception and disregard for the rule of law.

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“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,” he said.

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The minister maintained that only a leadership recognised by the courts could lawfully run the affairs of the party, warning against what he described as parallel and unlawful structures.

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“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,” Wike stated.

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He alleged that some party leaders were attempting to establish what he called an illegal caretaker arrangement despite existing court pronouncements on the party’s leadership dispute.

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“The court has made it clear who should run the affairs of the party pending a lawful convention. You cannot ignore that and start setting up another structure. That is fraud, 419,” he added.

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Wike also expressed concern over what he described as a decline in integrity among political and legal actors, accusing some senior figures of undermining institutions for personal interests.

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“People you expect to uphold the law are the ones trying to bend it. That is the tragedy of our system,” he said.

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