Wike Dismisses Makinde’s Claim of Promising to “Hold Down” PDP for Tinubu

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that he promised President Bola Tinubu he would “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election.

Wike’s reaction follows rising tensions within the opposition party after Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, alleged that the former Rivers State governor had assured President Tinubu of his willingness to weaken the PDP for political advantage.

While speaking during an end-of-year media chat on Monday, Wike described the allegation as false and baseless. He in turn accussed Makinde of acting out of frustration and lacking the courage to openly declare his own presidential ambition.

“Seyi Makinde has never called me Wike before. That was the first time I heard him address me that way. It is unfortunate,” Wike said. “You must ask yourself, what was that meeting about? What could have led me to tell Mr President that I would hold the PDP down for him?”

The FCT minister further questioned why Makinde had to wait until now to raise the allegation if it were really true.

“If such a thing happened, why didn’t Seyi Makinde speak up earlier? Why did he not come out to tell the party that he witnessed me making such a statement? What he said is simply not correct,” Wike added.

Setting the record straight, Wike said: “There was no such meeting. Rather, my humble self, the former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, the former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Seyi Makinde, went to see the president.

“We went to see the president after elections were over, to discuss certain things. While we were there, the Chief of Staff — you should know that the Chief of Staff is always around the president.

“I was the one who said, look, Chief of Staff, come and sit down, so we can remind the president of what we have discussed. There was nothing like a meeting we booked to go and see Mr President. So, it is completely out of place for anybody to say that in that meeting I told Mr President that I would hold PDP down for him.”

Describing the claim as “very, totally unfair,” Wike said the Oyo State governor was frustrated.

“I have told everybody, frustration — if you can see it, if you watch Seyi Makinde, you can see frustration. And this young man, we have advised severely.

“Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. Politics is not like being a contractor. It has different rules.

“When did Seyi Makinde come into politics? There is nothing wrong with having ambition, but the ambition must be pursued according to the rules.” he said

Makinde had earlier caused the controversy during a media briefing last week when he revealed details of a private meeting in 2023 involving himself, Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu