The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that he is not friends with the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Ilyas Damagum. According to Wike, Damagum never supported him.
Tensions are rising again within the PDP as rival factions prepare for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting set for Thursday. The NEC meeting is being called to address the ongoing internal crisis that has deeply divided the party. One faction aligns with Atiku Abubakar, while the other, including Wike’s supporters, criticizes Atiku’s group for allegedly violating the party’s zoning and office-sharing policies.
The crisis escalated last weekend when the pro-Atiku faction suspended Damagum and National Secretary Sam Anyanwu, both of whom are seen as sympathetic to Wike.
Speaking to his supporters and PDP members in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike clarified that his only interest was to see Damagum finish the remaining tenure of former chairman Iyorchia Ayu.
“They say Damagum should go. I’m not a friend of Damagum; he never supported me,” Wike remarked.
He continued, “The truth must be told at all times: we agreed that Damagum should complete the tenure of Ayu. But let me tell you why you should be careful about trusting people…those who sat with us to agree on that, I saw something and thought, this man, I can’t trust you.”