The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains Nigeria’s foremost opposition party despite the All Progressives Congress (APC) securing victories in the recent bye-elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday while congratulating President Bola Tinubu and the APC on their performance in Saturday’s bye-elections across the country.
He spoke during the commissioning of the Water Supply Network to Karu Satellite Town, one of the projects inaugurated to commemorate Tinubu’s third year in office.
According to the former Rivers State governor, the PDP continues to play a critical role in Nigeria’s democratic landscape as the principal opposition party challenging the ruling APC.
“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate your party for winning Saturday’s bye-elections and also congratulate my party for maintaining its position as the opposition,” Wike said.
He noted that every democratic system requires both a governing party and a viable opposition, stressing that opposition politics goes beyond criticism and involves providing a credible challenge to those in power.
“In every political setting, there must be winners and an opposition. Today, we have seen the ruling party and the opposition party,” he stated.
“The opposition is not about talking but about challenging the ruling party, and we are the only party challenging the ruling party. Therefore, we are the leading opposition party.”
Wike’s remarks come amid ongoing political realignments and debates over the strength of opposition parties ahead of future electoral contests in Nigeria.
