Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has now adopted three key positions Wike advocated for since 2022—positions that were initially rejected.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a programme aired by Channels Television on Wednesday, Olayinka claimed that the leadership crisis within the party could have been avoided had the PDP heeded Wike’s advice earlier.
“Wike’s position in 2022, if they had listened to him, probably the party wouldn’t be where it is today,” Olayinka stated. “Three positions that he canvassed, which the party said no to, have now been accepted.”
He outlined the three positions Wike had consistently defended:
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Zoning: Wike was an early advocate for zoning the PDP presidential ticket to the South, which the party officially resolved to do during its recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
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National Secretary: Wike argued that, according to the PDP constitution, National Secretary Sam Anyanwu could not be removed without resignation—a position now recognised by the party.
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Deputy National Chairman (North): Wike insisted that the constitutional provision for succession be respected—that the Deputy National Chairman (North) assumes acting leadership if the Chairman resigns or dies. The party has since reaffirmed this principle.
Olayinka added, “The party, after going back and forth—after a lot of damages have been done—came back to say we agree with you.”
He concluded by posing Wike’s rhetorical question: “Is it not now too late?”
The remarks come in the wake of the PDP’s NEC meeting, where the party resolved to uphold zoning, appointing the National Chairman from the North and the presidential ticket to the South, in what appears to be a belated endorsement of the framework Wike proposed over three years ago.
