A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Sani, has dismissed alleged intimidation tactics by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, amid the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the party.
He accused Wike of using his position as FCT minister to fight political opponents within the party, describing the alleged moves as “the last kick of a dying horse.”
Speaking during the Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Sani accused Wike of repeatedly using government instruments to frustrate meetings held by rival factions within the PDP.
He insisted that members of his PDP group were not disturbed by the development, maintaining that they remained the legitimate leadership of the party.
Sani further stated that his group was awaiting the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the recent Supreme Court judgment, which he said would determine the next phase of the leadership battle within the PDP.
According to him, Wike was aware of locations where meetings of the party had been taking place but had failed to shut them down.
The PDP chieftain alleged that similar tactics were previously employed during the tenure of acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, whenever meetings perceived to be unfavourable to Wike’s camp were scheduled.
He said: “He (Wike) knows where we have been holding meetings. He knows the place, and he has not seen it off yet. He can’t.
“It is a matter of time. Nevertheless, what he has said is merely an intimidation tactics using his…
“This is not new to us. Even when Damagun was the chairman, anytime we are going to hold a meeting that he is not satisfied, that the outcome of that meeting may not favor him, he will go and seal the National Secretariat and say, we have not paid ground rent. We have not paid tenement rate, we have not done this.
“Well, these were all tactics that he has been using. He will go and seal our annex office, which is the legacy house. So it is his own style to do that.
“We are not bothered. He knows we have been holding meetings. He knows we have been holding NEC meetings. So he can’t do nothing.
“What he’s just trying is the last kick of a dying horse because he knows we are now the legitimate people.
“We are just waiting for CTC of the Supreme Court judgment for them to pack their bags and baggage and leave Wadata Plaza to his office. That’s why he’s now trying to fight us using the instrument as the FCT minister.”
