Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Governor Bala Muhammed of attempting to trade the recently concluded Peoples Democratic Party national convention for control of the party’s National Secretary position.
Wike, who made the disclosure during an inspection of ongoing road projects across Abuja, said the move exposed the Bauchi governor’s desperation and inconsistency.
The minister alleged that Governor Bala Mohammed approached him before the convention to demand the secretary slot for his faction, a request he said was rejected outright.
According to Wike, Bala had argued that the convention should be shifted so negotiations could continue, insisting that his camp must be allowed to produce the secretary.
“He now said, can they have some positions? I said, what kind of position do you want to have? He said, can we give him secretary? I said, look, you’re a conquered person and you’re looking for a big elephant? You’re already conquered, you lost. You’re talking from a weak point and you want to demand Secretary. That is not done. We will not do that. But I can say, it’s not about me,” he stated.
Wike said he advised Bala to let his people buy nomination forms and participate in the process rather than seek pre-arranged concessions. “Before the convention, we can sit and say, okay, let’s concede this and let’s concede that. But not for you to come to say, give us Secretary. It’s not going to happen,” he said.
Wike also hit back at Bala’s claim that he was planted in the PDP to destabilise the party, calling the allegation embarrassing and dishonest.
“It’s very embarrassing. He said he went to see Mr. President three times. What did he go and see Mr. President for? He went to negotiate so that he can bring his successor and the APC refused him.
“He came to me that look, he went to Mr. President and he told Mr. President that he will work for him. And so he was coming to see me. Why did he not tell Nigerians that he was going to see Mr. President three times? You are a different party. You are going to see Mr. President to intervene. How will somebody in another party solve your own problem in another party?”
The FCT Minister also accused Bala of political double-dealing, alleging that the Bauchi governor secretly attempted to negotiate with Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 election cycle. According to him, Bala Muhammed visited the President multiple times to seek support for his political succession plan in Bauchi.
“He said he went to see Mr. President three times. What did he go and see Mr. President for? He went to negotiate so that he can bring his successor and the APC refused him,” Wike claimed.
He further alleged that in 2022, Bala personally approached him in Port Harcourt, urging him to work for Tinubu instead of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. “But this was the same man, and I want Nigerians to hear, in 2022, 2023, when the president emerged as the presidential candidate of APC, this same Bala Muhammad, no shame, no character, this same man flew down to Port Harcourt to meet me that we have to work for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that he can never work with Atiku. It didn’t take four days.
“The same man who came to lure me, has now moved to the same Atiku. Even this meeting he came to meet me, he inferred that, Attiku hates him, that he will never, that’s why we should make sure that since he cannot go to APC, let us be in PDP. I agreed.”
Wike also revisited his earlier vow to “put fire in Bauchi” after what he described as an unprovoked political attack by the Bauchi government.
Asked whether he had succeeded in making good on that threat, he replied, “Yes, have I ever hidden my intention? He came to put his hand in the Rivers state and said, I said, look, I’m going to give you back. Has he not lost it? So, I mean, we will know who is now bigger in the game.”
Despite the escalating feud, Wike maintained that he remains committed to the PDP and will not defect. “I have said I will not leave the PDP. I have said that I will continue to support Mr. President. That has been my position from 2022 to 2023,” he said.
He added that the successful convention had restored confidence in the opposition party. “The convention has shown that the PDP is alive. Yes, there are one or two hiccups, which is natural. However, we will be able to solve those hiccups.”
During the inspection tour of ongoing works being executed, Wike expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of road and bridge projects linking Jahi District, Gwarimpa, the Airport Expressway, Kuje and Gwagwalada, saying the projects remain on track for commissioning during the President’s third anniversary.
“We will be coming from time to time to make sure that we put the heat on them. They are also putting the heat on us to make sure that the available resources will not lack. But I am impressed with the quality of jobs the three companies have done,” he said.
