Nyesom Wike, new minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says he got approval from leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to accept the ministerial appointment, under President Bola Tinubu.
Wike made the assertion in Abuja on Monday, following his swearing-in to the position.
Wike is a member of the PDP, which is an opposition party to President Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
There had been a long running outcry for Wike to be suspended from the PDP for anti-party activities, especially for hobnobbing with the APC and recently for accepting the ministerial appointment from the party.
In response, Wike claimed he had written to PDP leaders, including Iliya Damagum, the acting party chairman and gotten clearance to accept the ministerial offer.
“They said they’ll sanction me that I took an appointment — that’s ridiculous,” he said.
“The president wrote to all the 36 state governors to bring names of people to appoint. Didn’t PDP governors submit names?
“Every PDP governor wrote a letter and nominated 10 persons for appointment in this (Tinubu’s) government.
“Before this appointment came, I wrote to the national party chairman, minority leader of the house of representatives and senate, zonal chairman of the party, my state chairman, and my governor.
“All of them wrote me back: ‘Accept it’. I have it in evidence documented.”
