POLITICS
Nyesom Wike Dismisses Ibadan Gathering as “Amala Convention,” Clarifies Makinde’s Meeting with Tinubu Was Courtesy Visit, Not Political Negotiation
…says “Makinde Is Not Happy I’m Still In PDP” and also “He’s Angry Because He Was Not Given Ministerial Slot”
Minister of FCT and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at the recent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathering in Ibadan, describing it as an “Amala Convention” rather than a true national convention, and calling into question the purported outcomes being circulated.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Port Harcourt, Wike said, “What held there (in Ibadan) was not National Convention but Amala Convention. You know people will like to come and eat Amala.”
His comment was seen as a pointed criticism of the event’s nature, suggesting that it was more of a social gathering than a serious political assembly.
Wike further questioned the credibility and purpose of the Ibadan meeting, challenging the PDP and its leaders to provide clarity.
“First of all, let us ask: what was the purpose of that meeting? Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said?” he asked. “There was no such meeting.”
The Rivers State politician also clarified reports linking the meeting to political negotiations, particularly regarding interactions with President Bola Tinubu.
According to Wike, the only gathering that included Seyi Makinde and other PDP leaders after the 2023 general elections was a formal courtesy visit to the President, stressing that no political bargaining took place.
He explained, “Myself, former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom; former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Seyi Makinde went to see the President after the elections. And of course, the Chief of Staff was there.”
Wike’s remarks appear to set the record straight on the Ibadan meeting, signaling his continued influence in national PDP politics while also defending the integrity of interactions among party leaders. Political watchers say his description of the gathering as an “Amala Convention” may underscore ongoing tensions within the party, as leaders navigate claims and counterclaims about internal meetings and alliances.