‘I wish I could bring you to APC,’ Yilwatda tells Wike

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has jokingly expressed a desire to bring Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike into the ruling party, despite the minister’s membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Yilwatda made the remark on Tuesday during the inauguration of the construction of Collector Road CO1, linking the Nile University area to Ring Road III, as well as the extension of the Body of Benchers Road in Abuja.

Commending Wike’s performance in office, the APC chairman described the former Rivers State governor as a dedicated and tireless public servant whose efforts have transformed infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.

Speaking at the event, Yilwatda praised the minister’s work ethic and joked about his political affiliation, saying he wished he could persuade Wike to leave the PDP for the APC.

He also recalled Wike’s support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, humorously suggesting that the opposition party had “loaned” the minister to the APC.

According to Yilwatda, Wike’s achievements in the FCT have demonstrated that effective governance can transcend party lines, noting that some PDP members have shown they can deliver results comparable to those expected from APC officials.

Wike, who was appointed FCT minister by President Tinubu in August 2023, has maintained a close working relationship with the APC-led administration despite remaining a member of the PDP.