ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Jigawa State Governor and PDP founding chieftain Sule Lamido has dropped a bombshell: Nyesom Wike’s appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was purely tactical—a ploy by President Bola Tinubu to consolidate control of the South‑South region. Lamido claims that once Tinubu has cemented influence in key South‑South states, Wike will become expendable and will be discarded.
1. Political Pawn or Strategic Asset?
Lamido argued on Prime Time (Arise TV) that Tinubu hand-picked Wike not out of loyalty or merit, but to tilt political power in favour of the APC across the South‑South. According to Lamido:
“The whole appointment of Wike was to make sure Tinubu secures the South‑South…
2. Mission Accomplished: The South‑South Map Falls
Lamido asserts Tinubu has already wrested control of Akwa Ibom, Edo, and Delta states—while Wike maintains his grip on Rivers:
“By the time Tinubu secures the South‑South in his own basket, Wike will become irrelevant… by then the purpose is gone.”
3. From MVP to Political Orphan
In multiple interviews, Lamido reiterated that Wike is a “disaster”—a PDP product turned saboteur—and warned Tinubu may soon ditch him to tidy up future embarrassments:
“Wike is unreliable, without tradition, without pedigree. Tinubu exposed him.”
4. Wike’s Betrayal, PDP’s Fracture
Lamido has even threatened to boycott PDP meetings unless Wike and others like Chief Samuel Ortom are expelled—accusing Wike of sealing the party’s secretariat, betraying collective memory and principle:
“Wike is a disaster… destroys the party that made him.”
5. Wike’s Calculated Counter-Move
Meanwhile, Wike continues his dual act: officially a PDP member but vocally endorsing Tinubu’s 2027 campaign. He has dismissed any opposition coalition as doomed and insisted he’s an “asset” to Tinubu’s re-election strategy:
“Coalition to unseat Tinubu will fail… I’m an asset,” he declared.
Investigation & Irony
Lamido’s claims raise serious contradictions: Wike portrays himself as a loyal PDP icon, yet he actively undermines his own party and aligns with Tinubu—while Tinubu publicly warns that too much favour shown to Wike could jeopardize APC’s political gains. The irony: Wike’s rise may have been Tinubu‑driven, and his political survival now hinges on loyalties that may unravel.
Sule Lamido’s explosive allegations paint Wike as the ultimate political chameleon—used, then discarded by the power he sought. As the 2027 election looms, he warns both Tinubu and Wike: once your usefulness fades, so will your relevance. For now, the PDP’s fight back seems to stall, as internal betrayal and political expediency deepen the cracks.
Whether Wike will ride out the storm or be left stranded remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain: in Nigerian politics, allegiances shift as fast as power does.
