A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Ehilebo, has alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is at the centre of the lingering crisis rocking the opposition party.
Ehilebo made the allegation on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he claimed that Wike remains aggrieved over the outcome of the PDP presidential primary held in 2022, which he lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking on the legality of the leadership arrangement within the party, Ehilebo dismissed the idea of a caretaker structure, insisting it has no constitutional backing. “There’s nowhere in the PDP constitution that has caretaker,” he said.
According to him, “The only people that can constitute a caretaker are a serving NWC committee which draw power from the neck.” He further argued that the PDP constitution provides clarity and stability, adding, “There is a beauty of the party. There is at least a beauty that is untampered. It doesn’t have any legal issues.”
Ehilebo questioned the legitimacy of any parallel structure operating outside the party’s constitution. “So where did that amorphous beauty come from?” he asked. He continued, “And the beauty that sits in the FCT minister’s house or his conference room.”
Addressing Wike directly, the PDP chieftain accused the minister of being responsible for the internal discord. “I want to speak directly to the FCT minister because he is the root of this whole issue,” Ehilebo said. He alleged that Wike’s actions were driven by grievances arising from recent political events. “He was upset about what happened in 2023. So he walked for the APC,” he said.
Ehilebo added, “We all agree. I would think that grievance has abided.” Expressing disappointment, he noted that younger party members looked up to senior figures for leadership and guidance. “As a young man, we look up to people who should be the standard,” he said. He added; “And what he is doing today doesn’t set a standard. He should be careful. History is not going to write itself in another way.”
Ehilebo reflected on Wike’s political rise within the PDP, stating, “History is going to come along and say, here was a man that PDP had gifted everything at every state office.” He recalled, “I contested for election. I didn’t win PDP.” Detailing Wike’s political journey, he said, “He has been made a local government chairman under PDP. A chief of staff.
Emphasizing the party’s role in shaping political careers, Ehilebo stated, “Well, the party, let’s say the party makes you.” He added, “So I’m speaking as the party makes you who you are. Not that the party gifted it to him. But it made him.” Using a metaphor, he said, “We’re talking about the cooking pot that cooked him. And the cooking pot is PDP.”
According to Ehilebo, the PDP’s core mission remains unchanged. “And PDP has an essence, which is to give the people the best governance they can get,” he said. He added that the party is designed to be people-driven, noting, “And governance driven by themselves, which are the people who nominate people who should be.”
Ehilebo expressed concern that internal disputes were distracting the party from its primary responsibility. “In all of these conversations we’re having, the most worrisome part of it is that we are not doing what, as a party, we should be doing today, which is holding government accountable,” he said. He stressed that the PDP should be focused on scrutinizing those in power. “The government in power today, right?” he asked.
Ehilebo concluded by reflecting on truth and justice within political processes. “Not all truths are justiciable,” he said. He added; “And not all justice you get lives or abides in the truth.
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