A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday accused Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of acting like a “civilian dictator” and hijacking the party’s internal structures to serve personal interests.

Dele Momodu, a former presidential aspirant and PDP stalwart, voiced concern over what he called Nigeria’s backslide into civilian dictatorship, pointing to Wike’s growing influence within the party as emblematic of wider democratic decline.

“What Wike is doing now is tantamount to staging a coup against the party that made him everything he is today,” Momodu said in an interview with Channels Television. “He does not have the moral right to dictate the direction of the PDP.”
Momodu criticised Wike for allegedly interfering in the party’s plans for the 2027 presidential ticket despite his ministerial portfolio in Abuja.

“It sounds ridiculous that one man, who should be busy in Abuja, is dictating where the PDP presidential ticket should go,” he said.
He also referenced the recent turmoil in Rivers State, Wike’s political base, which led to a state of emergency, blaming the unrest on Wike’s refusal to relinquish control.
“A major crisis of monumental dimension was orchestrated and aggravated by one man. Just because he wouldn’t go away quietly,” Momodu said.

The former publisher also condemned remarks made by President Bola Tinubu, who dismissed critics of Wike’s conduct as “busybodies.” Momodu said it was inappropriate for any president to refer to concerned citizens as outsiders in their own country.
Momodu warned that Nigeria’s democratic experiment, hard-won during the June 12 pro-democracy movement, risks unraveling.

“The audacity of this set of politicians, whether in the executive, legislature, or local government, is totally unbelievable,” he said.
Despite growing dissatisfaction within the PDP, Momodu ruled out joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that he could not be part of a political culture where one man dictates to others.

“If I wanted to join the APC, I wouldn’t be speaking like this,” he said. “But my soul is out of PDP—I cannot sit in a room where one man dictates to adults who have served Nigeria all their lives.”

Momodu called for urgent reform of Nigeria’s political culture and a return to genuine democratic values, warning that without it, “we’ve damaged this democracy, and I hope we’ve not damaged it beyond repair.”