The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it has no moral or legal right to complain about the conduct of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, insisting that the ruling party must manage the political consequences of its own actions in Rivers State.
The PDP said Wike is no longer a member of the party and accused the APC of deliberately engaging him for political advantage, only to raise objections now that the relationship has become problematic.
The party’s position was stated on Tuesday in Abuja by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, while reacting to a public exchange between Wike and the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, over political developments in Rivers State.
Ememobong said the APC was fully aware of Wike’s political status before aligning with him and therefore lacked the standing to complain.
“The National Secretary of the APC may genuinely not know who is or is not a member of the PDP and may be relying on outdated information suggesting that Wike was still a PDP member. Wike was expelled from the PDP along with his supporters. That is why we sympathise with the problem the APC has brought upon itself by engaging someone they now lack the moral or legal standing to disown,” he said.
He added that the law does not permit a party to benefit from a wrong it knowingly created.
“You cannot complain about an act you willingly undertook. The APC must manage the situation it created. What was once seen as an asset has now become a liability, and they must deal with it,” Ememobong stated.
The PDP spokesman rejected attempts to drag his party into the controversy, noting that the same actions now being criticised were previously celebrated when they appeared to favour the APC.
“When this same conduct was benefiting the APC, they were jubilating and laughing. The same National Secretary did not complain even once. Now that it no longer suits them, they are raising objections,” he said.
Ememobong stressed that the PDP would always call out anti-party conduct, regardless of who is involved.
“When something is wrong, it is wrong. If someone aligns with another party, I will say clearly: either leave your party and join us, or remain independent and support us openly,” he said.
He maintained that any political gains from Wike’s actions accrued solely to the APC and that the ruling party must now deal with the fallout.
“What the APC is experiencing is a voluntary injury they inflicted on themselves. They enjoyed the benefits, so they must manage the consequences,” he said.
Using a metaphor to describe the situation, Ememobong added, “This is what happens when you keep feeding a monster. One day, you become food in the belly of that monster.”
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