Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and National Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), delivered a combative address to the party’s 109th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, June 25, telling candidates and party members that the road back to power runs through struggle — not sentiment.
Wike, the former two-term governor of Rivers State who pivoted from the PDP’s 2023 presidential campaign to support President Bola Tinubu of now the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was in characteristically blunt form as he addressed the gathering of PDP's highest decision-making body outside a national convention.
“Nobody gives power. Power is taken. You must fight for it to take it. Nobody gives power, and nobody is ready to dash you of power. You have to struggle for it. You have to fight for it. You don’t have to be afraid,” he said.
He used the opportunity to address the party’s current legal battles — including court cases arising from the conduct of recent primaries — with the same defiant tone.
“As far as I am concerned, June 26 is when they will give the access code to political parties to upload results. Don’t worry, we are good to go. Nobody is afraid of court; courts are meant for human beings, not ghosts,” he said.
Wike Challenges Candidates to Deliver or Stay Home
The minister’s message was equally direct when addressing governorship aspirants and legislative candidates. He told them the NEC chamber was not a space for excuses or empty hands.
“Everybody, go home, bring something, and put it on the table in 2027. If you bring the House of Representatives, you have done something. If you bring an assembly member, you have done something. But don’t come here, this is not a place of empty hands,” Wike said.
He drew on his own political history to make the point about resilience under pressure.
“If they want to kill you, die and leave this thing you are looking for. The people will arrest you; be strong. The people who will arrest you are also human beings. Use me as an example. I’ve seen everything, intimidation, everything,” he said.
Wike also offered a candid assessment of the psychological change the party needs to make after years in opposition.
“Most of you always used to come and take when PDP was in power, like spoiled children every day, depending on what their father had provided. It appears your father is sick now, nobody to provide, you think that the whole world has ended,” he said.
Despite the bluntness, he added he was confident in the party’s trajectory.
“After the 2027 elections, we’ll come back here and thank God for keeping our party alive. Yes, we are not in a strong position to say we must get everything, but with a strong opposition, to be relevant and decide our future,” he added.
PDP Chairman and BoT Call for Unity Behind 2027 Push
PDP National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed struck a different, more conciliatory tone at the same meeting. He commended state chairmen, National Working Committee members, and party leaders for sustaining the party’s structures through a difficult period and conducting primaries under challenging conditions.
“Our objective is not merely to win elections but to offer visionary leadership capable of addressing the pressing challenges facing our nation and delivering tangible benefits to all Nigerians,” Mohammed said.
He also expressed confidence in INEC to provide a level playing field for all parties ahead of 2027 and praised security agencies for supporting the peaceful conduct of the party’s primaries nationwide.
Meanwhile, PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Mao Ohuabunwa called on members to move beyond the primary season’s divisions and unite for the election ahead.
“The primaries have come and gone. The contest time is over. The time for unity, reconciliation and collective action is now. There must be no victors and no vanquished,” he said.
Ohuabunwa also called on party leaders across the country to intensify membership mobilisation and voter registration drives, warning that electoral success in 2027 would depend entirely on grassroots organisation.
“Indeed, our strength lies in our unity. When we work together, victory becomes achievable. When we become divided, our collective resolve is weakened,” he said.
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