A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed to field a presidential candidate in the 2027 election.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that Wike has openly declared his support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.
He had recently revealed during a television interview that the party lacks the financial muscle to fund a Presidential campaign.
However, speaking in an interview with Daily Trust, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, dismissed claims that the party would not present a presidential candidate.
He disclosed that the National Executive Committee meeting on Monday will discuss and settle issues concerning zoning and the amount for the forms.
“We are going to have a presidential candidate. Time will take care of all this propaganda. The NEC will decide the zoning formula of the party. What is most important for the PDP is to win the election. It’s to take over power from APC,” he said.
Asked whether the party will go against the position of its national leader, who had declared his support for President Tinubu, he replied by asking rhetorically whether the national leader is the national chairman.
“Is the national leader the chairman of the PDP? Why not? What are political parties meant for? That is his position as a Nigerian.
“As a minister in the APC government and a minister serving the president. You want him to speak against his master? He cannot speak against the President. He has to support his boss. But as a party, you are in the PDP office now.
“Did you see anywhere where you have the office of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, here? The party is different from the honorable minister of the FCT.
Irrespective of his role, his stabilising role and other assistance, his guidance, his wisdom, that is not to say he will come and tele-guide what happens in the party.
“So, there is a great distinction between what the minister says or does as a citizen of this country and as an appointee of the president on one hand and then what the National Working Committee of the party does on the other hand. So, for us as a political party, we will field a presidential candidate,” he said