Dan Orbih, the national vice-chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-South, says FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is working for Nigerians and not the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is not working for APC; he is working for the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday.

Mr Orbih said that having sought permission from the relevant organs of the party, PDP permitted Mr Wike to serve in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He said that in view of this, there should not be any issue with Mr Wike working with the APC-led Federal Government.

“He wrote to the South-South zonal executive. We had a meeting in Port Harcourt, and unanimously, we said it was a call to national service, and we gave him our nod,” the party chieftain said.

Mr Orbih said Mr Wike also wrote to the state chapter of the PDP, which also permitted him to take the presidential appointment.

“He wrote to his ward and local government chapters of the party. There is no organ of the party that came out to say no, don’t accept this appointment.

“He wrote to the governors’ forum, and I can tell you that at the end of the first meeting held by the forum, a delegation of that body went to congratulate him in Abuja,” he said.

He noted that political parties must be careful how they treat their members, adding that Mr Wike’s participation in the present government “is not an issue”.

“When he was given an invitation to serve in this government, he wrote to every critical organ of the party, informing them that Mr President had invited him to be part of his government.

“I am also aware that not too long ago, the members of the Board of Trustees met him in his official residence, and throughout that meeting, none of them raised this issue,” Mr Orbih said.

The PDP national vice-chairman also said his politics could not define his relationship with the FCT minister and his friends in other political parties.

“If, at my age, I now belong to a political party and the party tells me, this man cannot be your friend, then it is wrong.

“I want to say it very clearly: PDP cannot determine my friendship with Nyesom Wike, a very dependable, hard-working friend of mine,” he added.

(NAN)