Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, declared on Wednesday that, based on principles, he would not go back on the political issues that have pitted him against his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

At a media parley to mark his one year in office as FCT minister, Wike said he’s focused on delivering President Bola Tinubu’s mandate and not supporting Fubara.

The minister also faulted moves to remove the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, pointing out that until there is a national convention, the chairman cannot be removed.

He said it would be unlawful to appoint an acting chairman without election and ask him to preside over the affairs of the National Working Committee members who were all elected into such positions.

Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads since the governor assumed office, following disagreements over the control of the party structure in the state.

The face-off affected the State House of Assembly, resulting in the legislature breaking into factions. During the live media parley with some select television stations in Abuja on Wednesday.

Wike said: “In good conscience, I fought for Fubara to become governor without any regrets and you now say you don’t want to be part of the family; no problem. Aregbesola was brought by Tinubu, but he’s no longer with the president again.

“In all honesty, I can tell you that there is no going back and my people know. What support? Have I come out of the one I did? Some people don’t play politics of integrity, but I do. He’s the one that said ‘dey your dey,’ so let me ‘dey my dey.’

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“This doesn’t worry me because I’m focused on the mandate Mr. President gave me in FCT.”*I don’t run from a fight*

The FCT Minister also denied speculation that he was planning to leave the Peoples Democratic Party.

Wike declared, “I don’t run away from any fight. I will stay there, I will fight it out. Who am I going to run from? The vampires? I cannot do that!”“I will not leave PDP even when the fight at home (Rivers State) and at the national level gets tougher. I will fight to the last. I am not prepared to join the APC. I have said it, and I want to repeat it again.

The work I am doing here was handed over to me by the president, and I am focused on achieving the task before me.“I will not fold my arms and allow the party I have suffered for over the years to continuously do injustice to members. I will not accept that.”

Wike’s statement comes amidst speculation that he may leave the PDP due to the internal crisis in the party, particularly against him.Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, had called on the National Chairman of the PDP, Damagum, to expel Wike from the party to save it from destruction.

In an open letter to Damagum, Clark stated: “I am writing to bring to your attention the activities of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Nyesom Wike, who is using his closeness to President Bola Tinubu to intimidate the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the party.”Clark, who is also the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum, said: “I cannot stand by and allow the minister to continue to hound the governor. If we do not stop him, the matter will consume him, Wike, and their cohorts.”

But in a swift response on Wednesday, Wike said: “I don’t know the party Chief Clark belongs to, but in 2014, when I came out to run, he said no because it’s the turn of the Ijaws.

He said nothing will make me win, but to the glory of God, I won.“I wasn’t a bad person when I championed for an Ijaw man to be governor, but I have become a bad person because there are issues. There is nothing Clark has not said, but I vowed never to respond.“

He (Clark) spoke about a Southern president, which I supported, and he spoke about power rotation to the South, which I believed in. So, what crime have I committed?“ In leadership, everything must not be smooth. I had my own crisis when I was there. Did I blame anybody? I faced the crisis squarely. When I was there, you all saw what the Federal Government did to me.

Did I accuse any ethnic group? No.“If you are in a leadership position, you should be able to stand and face the crisis. That’s what politics is all about. Sometimes it will be good, and other times it won’t be rosy.”