NEWS
“Wike Is My Boy, Not My Leader” – Oyinlola Dismisses Claims Of FCT Minister’s Leadership Over PDP
Former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has strongly rejected claims that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is his political leader within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that their political backgrounds, experience and positions in government do not support such a claim.
Oyinlola, who remains a member of the PDP, made his position known on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed the ongoing political developments and leadership disagreements within the opposition party.
The former governor was particularly emphatic in dismissing suggestions that Wike occupies a superior leadership position over him in the PDP, describing the FCT minister as someone considerably younger than him in political experience.
According to Oyinlola, although both politicians belong to the same political party, membership of the PDP does not automatically make Wike his leader. He maintained that their respective political histories and the positions they occupied in government clearly distinguish their levels of experience. He further recalled that when he was serving as governor of Osun State, Wike had not yet attained significant political prominence and was still pursuing his education.
Oyinlola made his position unmistakably clear while responding to questions surrounding claims that the former Rivers State governor had emerged as the leader of the PDP and suggestions about his involvement in a proposed political coalition.
“Nobody has invited me to any rainbow coalition. I don’t know the meaning of rainbow except the one I know. He is not my leader. You don’t say that kind of thing. Yes, I am a member of the PDP, but he is not my leader.
“When I was governor, where was he? He was in school. So, he doesn’t qualify to be my leader. He’s my boy,“ Oyinlola said.
The former Osun governor also argued that political leadership should not be determined merely by a politician’s current influence, government appointment or prominence within the party, but should take into consideration political history, experience and previous contributions to the party.
He maintained that his involvement in politics predates Wike’s rise to prominence, stressing that he had already occupied some of the highest political positions in the PDP and government before the FCT minister became a major political figure.
Oyinlola’s comments come amid continuing disagreements and competing claims of leadership within the PDP, particularly following the party’s internal crisis and the emergence of different political blocs seeking to influence its direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a prominent political figure, has remained influential in national political discussions, especially since his appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory by President Bola Tinubu.
However, Oyinlola’s latest remarks underline his refusal to recognise Wike as his political superior, despite their membership of the same party, further highlighting the divisions and disagreements surrounding the PDP’s l
eadership structure.