PDP Crisis: You started fight you couldn’t win – Wike mocks Makinde

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, has again taken a swipe at Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, berating the governor for entering a political battle he lacked the capacity to finish.

“A fight you can’t fight, don’t start it,” Mr Wike declared on Monday during the 107th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“It’s unfortunate that a fight you cannot fight, you started. Politics is not contract work,” he added.

The minister, who openly ridiculed Mr Makinde’s approach to politics, drew a sharp contrast between governance and business dealings.

Mr Wike stated, “They are two different things. You wanted money; I wanted power. Stay where you are as a contractor. Politics is not a contract of Shell. I didn’t go into politics to be a contractor. I went into politics to have power.”

While cautioning party members against engaging in unnecessary political battles, the minister further stressed that politics requires strategy, advising members to be loyal ahead of the PDP convention scheduled for next week.

“After this NEC meeting, anybody that doesn’t show commitment to the convention, don’t come back and tell us that ‘oh, I’m fully back.’ No, I will not accept that.

“Money is not everything in this world; money has limitations. Remove fear from your body. The moment you have fear, you have already failed. Believe that you have the capacity to do this, and you can do it,” he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the national caretaker working committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed, told the gathering that the party had successfully navigated recent legal and political hurdles and commended Mr Wike for his sacrifices in keeping the party structures intact.

The NEC meeting served as the final preparatory gathering ahead of the party’s elective, where key leadership positions would be contested.