The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approved the appointment of Nyesom Wike as a minister in the administration of Bola Tinubu.
Yilwatda made the disclosure on Wednesday during a media chat in Abuja while responding to questions on Wike’s continued membership of the PDP despite serving in an APC-led government.
The APC chairman said Wike’s appointment was not unusual, citing precedents where past administrations appointed opposition figures into key government positions.
He referenced the appointments of Bala Mohammed and Adamu Aliero, who served as ministers of the Federal Capital Territory under previous PDP administrations despite belonging to other parties.
“President Jonathan discovered Bala Mohammed was good enough and brought him from ANPP,” he said.
“Aliero was also appointed by President Yar’Adua from ANPP because of his experience.”
Yilwatda argued that the backlash against Tinubu over Wike’s appointment was unjustified.
“What’s wrong if President Tinubu is doing what two former presidents have done and nobody condemned them?” he asked.
He also pointed to other opposition figures serving in the current administration, including Bianca Ojukwu, noting that criticism appears to be disproportionately focused on Wike.
According to the APC chairman, Wike formally wrote to the PDP’s National Working Committee in 2023 seeking permission to accept the ministerial role.
He said the party granted approval for Wike to serve in the APC-led government.
“Wike wrote the national working committee of PDP before he took the appointment,” Yilwatda said.
“The national working committee of PDP approved that he should come and serve with us.”
Yilwatda maintained that Wike’s role in the Tinubu administration is backed by the PDP, not the APC.
“He is serving with us with the approval of the national working committee of PDP,” he said.
“So, it was PDP that approved that Wike should work with the APC.”