Wike Dismisses Makinde’s PDP‑APM Alliance as a “Political 419” Scheme

By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA

During an inspection of road works in the Gomani-Yangoji area of Kwali, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike dismissed claims that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had formed an alliance with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). He called the story “fraudulent” and blamed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for promoting what he described as “Political 419” ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike told reporters that neither the PDP nor the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were aware of any such arrangement. “When I say people are fraudulent, they think I am joking. And that is the 419 we are talking about,” he said. “There is no alliance between PDP and Allied Peoples Movement or any other political party, as the case may be. INEC also knows that there is nothing called a PDP-APM alliance,” he added.

He argued that the PDP’s internal processes, including the screening of presidential aspirants, demonstrated the party’s independence and that it had not entered into a coalition with any other party. Wike challenged skeptics to observe which candidate the PDP would ultimately submit to INEC.

Regarding Makinde, Wike claimed the governor was using the APM platform solely to pursue a personal presidential ambition he described as “dead on arrival.” “What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to be able to actualise his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” he said.

Wike also said that Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed had made no such claims and that the alleged PDP-APM narrative existed only in political imagination. “It’s unfortunate. We know that has been his game plan, and we would say he cannot fly the flag of PDP,” Wike said of Makinde.

When asked about comments from the Rivers State governor concerning his continued membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wike appeared unconcerned, rejecting any suggestion that the governor faced a crisis within the ruling party. “Sorry for what? Why are you saying ‘problem’ when nobody has told you he has a problem? The man has told you he still remains APC. So what is the problem now?” he asked. He added that the governor’s status within the APC was a matter for the party itself.

During the inspection, Wike praised progress on the 13‑kilometre Gomani-Yangoji road, noting it was on track for inauguration during events marking President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office in June. He said the project was part of a deliberate policy to extend infrastructure beyond Abuja’s city centre into satellite communities, following a direct directive from the president under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Remember that when we came on board, one of the directives of Mr President was that we should not concentrate development; we should not concentrate provision of infrastructure just only in the cities. We must open up all the satellite towns in order to discourage rural‑urban migration,” Wike said.

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