Tonye Cole accuses Wike of undermining PDP
By Kunle Sanni
Tonye Cole, co-founder of Sahara Group and former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has accused Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), of working to weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during an interview on the podcast Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa Osagie on Thursday, Cole described Wike’s actions as a calculated effort that both the ruling APC and Wike himself are fully aware of.
“It is an open secret to everyone; it is not hidden. The role that he plays now in PDP is to weaken PDP to such an extent that the opposition to the APC moving forward is no longer there,” he said.
“PDP is aware of it. Everybody is aware of it. APC is aware of it. Everybody is aware of it. He is aware of it. Nobody is holding that secret; it is over there.
“But somehow it amazes me when I think about it. It doesn’t seem as if PDP wants to do anything about it. It is their cross.”
The PDP has been in turmoil since its 2022 presidential primary, where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar defeated Wike by securing 371 votes to Wike’s 237. The loss led Wike and four other governors to form the G5, a faction that openly opposed the PDP’s leadership and was believed to have contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2023 general elections.
Despite serving in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led administration, Wike has repeatedly claimed he remains a member of the PDP, a stance that has drawn criticism and fueled speculation about his loyalty.
The PDP’s leadership is yet to officially respond to Cole’s latest claims, but the party remains embroiled in a broader effort to rebuild after its poor performance in the 2023 elections.
