The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that he promised to “hold” the Peoples Democratic Party for President Bola Tinubu.
Wike refuted the claim during his end-of-year media interaction held in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Governor Makinde had earlier told journalists that Wike, during a visit to the State House in 2024, assured President Tinubu that he would “hold PDP” for him.
Responding, Wike said the visit was not related to the PDP, but rather aimed at demonstrating support for President Tinubu’s leadership and reassuring him of continued backing.
He explained that his support for Tinubu had always been public knowledge and did not require any special meeting to reaffirm.
“Sheyi said I told Tinubu that I would hold PDP for him. Nothing like that happened.
“Everyone knows my position on Tinubu. I don’t need a meeting to tell him that,” Wike said.
The FCT minister added that, in his role, he has a duty to ensure that members of the G-5 group benefit from the Tinubu administration in one way or another.
Wike also alleged that Makinde’s criticism stemmed from disappointment over President Tinubu’s refusal to approve his nominee for a ministerial position.
He further claimed that he had not enjoyed the level of support Makinde allegedly received from the Federal Government, citing the reported N50 billion grant for victims of the Bodija explosion in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Suleimon Olanrewaju, clarified that only N30 billion was released, noting that part of the funds was paid directly to victims as immediate relief, while the remaining amount was used for rebuilding and restoration efforts.
Despite this clarification, Wike insisted that the Oyo State governor owed residents of the state an explanation on how the funds were spent, stressing that such expenditures should have been properly appropriated before disbursement.
