Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike has explained that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approved his appointment as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
Wike spoke during his maiden press conference as the new FCT minister in Abuja on Monday.
Recall that President Tinubu inaugurated 45 ministers-designate as members of the Federal Executive Council today.
Before he was screened and confirmed by the Senate, reports circulated of plans by some PDP stalwarts to get the former Rivers governor suspended by the party for frolicking with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and acceptance of the ministerial offer.
During his press conference, the new FCT Minister said he wrote to and got the approval of the PDP leadership, including new Acting National Chairman, Iliya Damagum, before accepting the offer.
“They said they’ll sanction me that I took an appointment — that’s ridiculous.
“The president wrote to all the 36 state governors to bring names of people to appoint. Didn’t PDP governors submit names?
“Every PDP governor wrote a letter and nominated 10 persons for appointment in this (Tinubu’s) government.
“Before this appointment came, I wrote to the national party chairman, minority leader of the house of representatives and senate, zonal chairman of the party, my state chairman, and my governor.
“All of them wrote me back: ‘Accept it’. I have it in evidence documented,” Wike said.
