Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday, dismissed the adoption of former President Goodluck Jonathan as presidential candidate of the Kabiru Turaki-led group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), questioning the legitimacy of a political process conducted without the direct involvement of the individual concerned.

He also faulted claims by the Emeka Beke-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State that a recent Court of Appeal judgment invalidated decisions taken by the party’s leadership, including the primaries that produced its candidates.

“They say they have a presidential candidate. Why not wait? The same presidential candidate they are talking about has not made any statement. You are conducting an election on behalf of somebody. I don’t know when Nigeria got to the point where people run elections on behalf of another person,” he stated in reference to Jonathan’s nomination.

Wike also dismissed claims by the Turaki faction that a recent Court of Appeal judgment had invalidated the party’s convention and the National Working Committee (NWC) that emerged from it.

While responding to questions from journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, the immediate past governor of Rivers State accused members of the group of deliberately misrepresenting the court’s decision to mislead their supporters and sustain what he described as a lost political cause.

The minister was reacting to a statement issued by the Turaki-led faction, which claimed that the appellate court had overturned a High Court judgment recognising the PDP caretaker committee that organised the convention leading to the emergence of the present NWC.

Describing the interpretation of the judgment as fraudulent, Wike said the ruling was clear and unambiguous, stressing that the appeal filed by the group was dismissed and therefore had no legal effect on the status of the party’s convention or leadership.

“When I say 419, people don’t pay attention to it. There are 419s of different types and forms,” Wike said. “It is unfortunate that somebody may even be derobed because of this matter. When a lawyer comes out to give information different from what the court actually said, it is really unfortunate.”

Wike, who also defended his recent remarks on the protest by members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over the abduction of teachers and students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), insisted that insecurity should not be politicised.

He described Beke’s interpretation of the appellate court judgment as misguided and uninformed, maintaining that the ruling was limited to issues surrounding the party’s congresses and had no bearing on APC primaries.

The minister was reacting to comments credited to the Beke faction following the Court of Appeal judgment, in which it claimed that all decisions taken by the Tony Okocha-led APC in Rivers had been nullified and that the party’s candidates had been removed.

Rejecting the claims, Wike argued that the faction lacked a proper understanding of the court’s decision.

“Ask him what the court said and whether the state carried out any primary. State chapters do not conduct primaries; primaries are conducted by the NWC of the party,” he said.

According to him, the dispute originated from an ex parte order obtained at a state high court to stop the conduct of congresses for the election of state party officers.

On the controversy generated by his recent remarks during a protest by teachers over the abduction of their colleagues and students in the FCT, Wike said he stood by his comments that insecurity should not be subjected to political manipulation.