Wike Free to Join APC Anytime — National Chairman

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is at liberty to join the ruling party whenever he chooses.

Yilwatda said this on Wednesday during a media chat in Abuja, stressing that the APC does not compel membership.

He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Wike despite his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, the party leader said cross-party appointments are not unprecedented and should not attract the level of criticism currently being directed at the administration.

He said, “It is not strange. Bala Mohammed was the Minister of the FCT; he was in the ANPP, and President Jonathan discovered that he was good enough to be the Minister of the FCT. He borrowed him from ANPP and made him FCT minister. Aliero, the former governor of Kebbi was in the ANPP. After leaving the government house, he became a senator. President Yar’Adua, who was in the PDP, appointed him to be the Minister of FCT.

“What is wrong, if President Bola Tinubu is doing exactly what two former presidents have done and nobody condemned what was done? Yet, everybody is hitting President Tinubu for bringing Wike from the PDP to come and serve in the APC government.

“Not him alone. Why are they not hammering on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs who is from APGA? Why is no one mentioning her? Why Wike only?”

Yilwatda maintained that Wike received the approval of the National Working Committee of the PDP to join the Tinubu administration.

“Let me be clear, Wike wrote to the National Working Committee of the PDP in 2023, whether ahe could take the appointment of the APC. The NWC of the PDP approved that he should come and serve with us. So he is serving with us with the approval of the National Working Committee of the PDP,” he said.

Asked if he would like Wike to join the APC, the national chairman said, “If he wants to join the APC, he is free. We don’t compel people to join the APC, they do so willingly. There is nowhere you will see that you have to sign an agreement with us before you can work in our government.

“Mr President has done so well, People who insulted him, they are in our government and he didn’t ask them to join the APC. Some of them are ambassadors and political appointees. They insulted the president, they vilified him, but he openly, in broad daylight welcomed them to serve where he feels they have the capacity.”