Wike Justified over Actions in PDP Due to Betrayals by Close Allies, Says Datti Baba Ahmed

Former Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has offered a rare defence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, amid the ongoing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suggesting that the former Rivers State Governor may be justified in his actions due to what he described as a betrayal by close allies.

Baba-Ahmed, speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, said while he does not support many of Wike’s recent political moves, the minister’s response to the internal politics of the PDP is understandable given the circumstances that led to his fallout with party leadership.

“You see, all the things that Wike is doing, I don’t agree with them, but he is justified to an extent,” Baba-Ahmed stated. “I’m trying to say that whatever he’s doing, deep down in his mind, I’m trying to remotely psych how he thinks and all that.”

He recounted the events at the PDP’s national convention held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, where Wike, according to Baba-Ahmed, was betrayed publicly by a close ally—an experience he believes fundamentally altered Wike’s relationship with the party.

“Right at the Eagle Square, in the glare of the whole world, a party that he sustained while others were away, a very dear friend of his, at the most critical moment, backstabbed him,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed further claimed that Wike may have perceived the betrayal as being orchestrated by key figures from Northern Nigeria, thereby intensifying his resolve to retaliate.

“As far as he’s concerned, ‘these are two northerners who cheated me; these are two Hausa-Fulanis; these are two Muslims who cheated me, and I will teach them a lesson.’ This is Wike,” he said.

He warned that underestimating the emotional weight of such political betrayal could lead to devastating consequences for the PDP.

“Humanly speaking, I want to be fair to him. Whoever is treated that way will definitely fight back. It was not fair,” he added.

“I used to tell these people, be careful, even in your acts of politicking, be careful when you ask of treachery, be careful with your tricks. There is a time you fix somebody beyond imagination.”

Baba-Ahmed pointed to Wike’s longstanding loyalty to the PDP, particularly his support for northern leaders during the 2011 elections, saying that the depth of the betrayal could ultimately be what drives him to dismantle the party from within.

“Well, the people who did this to Wike, you know, they come from a very rich history with what he did for them in 2011—the relationship, the friendship, how it lasted, became a long way—and at the very last, they did this to him. He will destroy the party. He’s a human being,” he said.

Wike’s role in the internal wrangling within the PDP has remained a subject of national interest, especially following his controversial alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2023 general elections, where he was appointed FCT Minister by President Bola Tinubu. His relationship with the PDP leadership has since grown increasingly strained.