The minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he wont exit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of the internal crisis in the party.
He made this statement on Wednesday during a media parley organised to mark his one year in office as FCT minister.
From the time he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu, there have been rumours that the former Rivers governor is no longer a member of the PDP.
Few days ago, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark said Wike must leave PDP for the party to survive.
Via an open letter to Umar Damagum, the acting national chairman of the PDP, the elder statesman said he would not permit Wike to ruin the country’s main opposition party and Rivers state.
Presently, the PDP is grappling with internal wrangling at the national level.
The PDP chapter in Rivers is at the same time facing crisis as Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, are at loggerheads over who take control of the state and party.
However, in his response to a question during the media parley if he would leave the PDP if the crisis in Rivers continues, Wike said, “I don’t run away from a fight.”
“I have told you that I don’t run away from a fight. I will stay there and fight it out. Who am I going to run from? The vampires?” he said.
“Did I not say I won’t support the presidential candidate of PDP? Did I do it secretly?”
The FCT minister also mentioned that his position is that the Rivers state house of assembly must be allowed to function.
He said that it is “impunity and madness” for three lawmakers to make up the Rivers assembly and pass the state budget.
“I have made it very clear that the Rivers house of assembly must work. You sit in your house and say three people will constitute an assembly. You say these people have defected; who pronounces defection?” Wike said.
“You have gone to court several times, but you can’t wait for the judgment of the court.”
The former governor then said that the court should be allowed to make a final judgement on the defection of the lawmakers loyal to him.