Adamu Garba, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is reliant on his current position for his political survival.

According to Garba, Wike’s political capital is solely derived from his ministerial role, and his influence would dwindle significantly if he were to relinquish it.

Adamu expressed this view in a post on his social media platform on Monday, stating, “As it stands now, the only thing holding Wike’s political capital is the seat as the FCT Minister. If he ceases to be FCT minister, the loyalty from his current team cannot be guaranteed,” Garba stated.

He further emphasised the historical dominance of the PDP in Rivers State, pointing out that established institutions, traditional rulers, and the general populace have traditionally leaned toward the party. Garba warned the APC to be wary of inheriting unnecessary hostility from the people of Rivers State.

“Most importantly, Rivers State is a traditional PDP domain. Most of the establishments in Rivers are for the PDP, the traditional rulers are for the PDP and the people at the grassroots have been with the PDP,” he wrote.

Garba’s statement comes in the wake of the recent political crisis in Rivers State, which saw the defection of 27 PDP lawmakers to the APC.