In an unexpected twist, Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has found his name featured on the national campaign councils of both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa.
The APC’s candidate for the election is Chief Timipre Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. Meanwhile, the incumbent Governor Douye Diri, seeking re-election, is the flagbearer for the PDP.
Revealing the council members, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, the National Organising Secretary of the APC, listed Wike, along with other prominent political figures within the party, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The chairman of the council is Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.
On the PDP side, earlier in the month, a 72-member campaign council was inaugurated for the state, chaired by Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, with Nyesom Wike being named as one of the members.
It’s worth noting that Wike was not present at the inauguration of the PDP campaign council.
Wike, during his tenure as the Governor of Rivers State, played a significant role as the leader of the PDP G5 aggrieved governors who opposed the party during the 2023 presidential election.
Prior to this, he had differences with the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, due to allegations that Diri did not support Wike’s presidential ambitions during the PDP primaries the previous year.
Having recently been appointed as the Minister of FCT by President Bola Tinubu’s administration as recognition for his support for the APC during the presidential election, Wike’s presence on both campaign councils raises questions about his true allegiance.
Despite efforts to reach Barr Dennis Otiotio, the APC Chairman in Bayelsa, for comments, he could not be reached.
However, a party chieftain in the state, who chose to remain anonymous, deemed this development as acceptable.
“Wike’s affiliation with both APC and PDP highlights the intricate web of political alliances and strategies in the run-up to the Bayelsa governorship election.”