The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed how the Peoples Democratic Party attempted to take over Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital, during its time in power.
During the PDP’s reign at the federal level between 1999 and 2015, Lagos remained an opposition state under the political leadership of then-governor Bola Tinubu. Ahead of the 2003 general elections, the PDP strategized to win all six Southwest states.
While it succeeded in Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo, Lagos remained under the control of the opposition.
Throughout the PDP’s 16-year rule at the federal level, Lagos never aligned politically with the central government. This continued until the PDP lost power in 2015 to the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking during a media parley with select journalists in Abuja on Monday, Wike addressed Chief Bode George, a PDP chieftain in Lagos, asserting that the PDP holds no political relevance in the state.
Wike, a PDP member serving as a minister under the APC-led administration, stated that the party has failed to make any significant impact in Lagos, despite George’s political standing.
He urged PDP members to stop lamenting Tinubu’s continued dominance in Lagos, noting that the party had previously tried and failed to wrest control of the state from him.
“In your own state, the party has never won anything. Every day, crying, complaining, from 1999, Tinubu did this, Tinubu did not do this, they rig elections, everyday, even when we were in power. We knew what we did to make sure PDP takes over Lagos, it didn’t work. Even when Jonathan came, we knew what we did, it didn’t work,” Wike said.
His remarks were in response to George’s recent criticism of the minister. George had accused Wike of betraying the PDP, describing the sealing of the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja as “sacrilegious and disrespectful.”
However, Wike dismissed George’s claims, arguing that individuals, rather than political parties, determine a party’s popularity and success.