Wike’s Aide Reacts After Atiku’s 2023 Running Mate Dumps PDP for APC

Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reacted to a major political shake-up in Delta State involving the defection of top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figures to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the political landscape shifted as Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election—and other PDP stakeholders officially joined the APC. The announcement followed a high-level meeting at the Government House in Asaba.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Olayinka delivered a sharp response, using Nigerian Pidgin to highlight the irony of the situation. “Sebi na Wike and Fayose be PDP problem. Okowa, who was Atiku’s running mate don port,” he tweeted, referencing the frequent accusations that Wike and former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose are responsible for PDP’s internal issues.

Olayinka’s statement was a jab at critics who have continuously blamed his principal and Fayose for the party’s challenges, suggesting that the defection of such a high-profile figure as Okowa shows deeper problems within the PDP.

Following the defection, Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, addressed the media. He stated that the decision to leave the PDP came after “thorough consultations and a careful assessment” of the state’s future. He emphasized that the move to the APC was aimed at securing better opportunities for development, security, and political stability, adding that remaining in the PDP would no longer serve the state’s interests.