‘Seal our office if you can’, Turaki-led PDP fires back at Wike

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki has challenged Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to carry out his threat of shutting down its office.

Wike had, during his monthly media chat earlier this week, questioned the legitimacy of the Turaki-led faction and asked the group to operate openly if it considered itself authentic.

The FCT minister also threatened to seal any office being used by the faction.

Reacting to the remarks, Ibrahim Abdullahi, former PDP deputy national publicity secretary and private principal secretary to Turaki, said the group already operates from a temporary office known to Wike.

“We have been operating from an office. He knows the location; he should come there and take over the office if he can,” Abdullahi said.

“It is a temporary office, but we are meeting there and carrying out our functions.”

Abdullahi warned that the deepening crisis within the opposition party could push the country towards a Hobbesian state of disorder “where life is brutish, short, and nasty”.

Also reacting, Ini Ememobong, spokesperson of the Turaki faction, described Wike as delusional, insisting that the minister is aware the faction runs official party accounts.

“His delusional boast of dealing with banks that will open accounts for us is delusional, as he is already aware that we are operating accounts of the party, which is why his group of friends are receiving money through private accounts,” he said.