The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, cannot win the 2027 presidential election.

Wike said the PDP is currently working on wining some state, while organizing itself ahead of the 2031 election.

In his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister said the former ruling party would take its time to prepare for the 2031 election.

He said: “I have always said that the PDP can’t win the presidential election now, all we are doing is to win some sub-national seats and organize the party against 2031.

“We must be very clear to people. I don’t like people who think that because it’s just an election, you must win.

“Being a president is not to come out today and run to be president, no. We have a crisis and you can’t wake up within six months to be president of a country.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party seeking to strip a Benue State House of Assembly member representing Okpokwu Constituency, Anthony Attah, of his seat following his defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Justice Muhammed Garba Umar, in a judgment in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2408/2025, held that although Attah did not deny defecting from the PDP to the APC, the court could not assume the constitutional powers vested in the Speaker and the Benue State House of Assembly to declare his seat vacant.

The PDP had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC and Attah, asking the court to determine, among other issues, whether votes cast for the party could be transferred to another political party after a legislator defects.

The party also sought declarations that Attah’s continued occupation of the seat after his defection was unlawful, that all legislative actions taken since his defection were null and void, and that he should refund salaries and other privileges received after leaving the PDP.

In the judgment, Justice Umar observed that the plaintiff’s case “borders on the defection of the third defendant who won the election… under the plaintiff” and noted that “the third defendant did not deny his defection to the second defendant.”

The judge, however, held that the constitutional procedure for declaring the seat vacant had not been completed.

“The announcement of the defection of the 3rd defendant from the plaintiff to the 2nd defendant is not enough,” the judge clarified. 

Justice Umar also explained that under Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, the House of Assembly must first declare the seat vacant, after which the Speaker is required to communicate the vacancy to INEC for the conduct of a bye-election.

He held that “unless and until this is done, the 1st defendant cannot act,” adding, “Therefore, this court cannot usurp the powers of the Speaker or the honourable members of the House of Assembly.”

The judge also rejected the preliminary objection challenging the competence of the suit, holding that the originating summons disclosed a reasonable cause of action.

Justice Umar dismissed the substantive suit, concluding, “On the whole, this application has no value, and it is hereby dismissed.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he wanted Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State to contest for a second term.

Wike and Fubara had endured a frosty relationship since the governor assumed office but they recently reconciled their differences.

Amid the crisis between Wike and Fubara, the governor who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had lost in the party’s primary election.

However, speaking during his monthly media chat, Wike said: “We don’t like the truth, I flagged off the ring road and I said that day that if you complete this road, nobody will stop your second term, how do you endorse somebody more than that.”

Asked if he wanted Fubara to do a second term, Wike said: “That’s right, you have to build a system and he’s from our political structure. There is nowhere in this world, be it in the Republican or Democrat, you have groups to talk about the party. Every group will have its own leader but that does not make you a godfather.

“At the end of the fight, I have not lost anything but you have lost because your intentions were to go for a second tenure but you are not going.”

The Minister maintained that he loves Fubara and feels bad that he won’t run for a second term.

He added: “Those of us who love you, Fubara, feel so bad if I don’t love him why will I support him? That’s the point that I’m making that of all these things who have lost?”