Former Akwa Ibom North West Senator, Chris Ekpenyong, has expressed doubts over the capacity of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to destabilize the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to Ekpenyong, Wike’s influence within the party has been overstated, and he lacks the “oxygen” necessary to cause significant disruption.
In an interview with journalists on Sunday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Ekpenyong argued that Wike is merely exploiting the current weakness of the PDP, which he claims has deviated from the original vision and mission of its founding fathers. This deviation, the former lawmaker noted, has allowed state governors to assume excessive control over the party, growing more powerful than the party itself.
Ekpenyong’s comments came in response to Wike’s recent threats to create chaos in PDP-controlled states if the party’s governors continued to meddle in the affairs of their states. Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, has been outspoken about his dissatisfaction with the current state of the PDP and has threatened to take drastic actions against the party’s leadership.
During his remarks, Ekpenyong reflected on Wike’s rise within the political system, stating, “Asking me about a very young man who, peradventure, came to be initiated into a political party and grew from the ranks of being the chairman of a local government through the instrumentality of his boss, Dr Peter Odili, and became whatever he became.”
Ekpenyong implied that Wike’s ascent within the PDP was largely due to political patronage rather than personal merit, noting that Wike was elevated to prominence through the influence of his former mentor, Peter Odili, the former Governor of Rivers State. He added that while Wike might believe he has the capacity to challenge the party, his efforts would ultimately be futile.
“He now says he wants to fight the stem. You know, everything has a stem. I will not join issues with him, but I think he is taking advantage of it because our party has deviated from what was supposed to be the vision and mission of its founding fathers. Otherwise, you would not see anyone who became a governor of the PDP now becoming taller than the party; it would not have been,” Ekpenyong remarked. He further suggested that Wike’s challenge to the party would likely fail because the PDP, in its current weakened state, does not have the structural strength to support his ambitions.
Ekpenyong lamented the current state of the PDP, describing the party as being in a “cocoon” and struggling to find its footing. He said the party has allowed itself to be dominated by state governors, leading to a collapse of its internal structure. “It will be a surprise to say whether PDP is alive. PDP has gone into a cocoon; it’s yet to be revived, and he thinks he has the oxygen to fight, but I think he does not,” he said.
The former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State expressed concern about the future of the PDP, noting that it was once a strong political force with a clear vision. However, he now believes the party has lost its way, allowing individual leaders, particularly state governors, to wield disproportionate power. He blamed the party’s collapse on the erosion of its foundational principles and the lack of internal discipline.
