Dare Babalola
Ossai Ovie Success, a political aide to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has taken a swipe at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his remarks at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held on Sunday in Abuja.
In a Facebook post reacting to the convention, Ossai, on Monday, accused Wike of double standards, questioning his moral authority to criticise governors who have defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite currently serving in an APC-led federal government.
“Wike has the effrontery to be threatening governors who defected from the PDP to the APC. Yet the same man is a minister under an APC government,” Ossai wrote, adding that the former Rivers State governor had contributed significantly to the internal crisis that weakened the PDP.
The aide, who is aligned with Governor Oborevwori, described Wike’s stance as “laughable” and expressed disappointment over what he termed an attempt to intimidate political actors who chose to leave the opposition party.
His comments followed Wike’s address to delegates at the PDP convention, where the minister dismissed concerns about the party’s future and took a veiled jab at those who had exited its ranks.
Wike had claimed that the governors who dumped the PDP during the party’s trying time lack leadership traits and cannot be trusted with power.
Although Wike did not mention names directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as a criticism of recent defections that have affected the PDP’s strength across several states.
One of the most prominent defections since the 2023 general elections is that of Governor Oborevwori, who was elected on the PDP platform but later moved to the APC in 2025 alongside key political stakeholders in Delta State. The shift marked a significant political realignment in the oil-rich state and dealt a blow to the PDP’s traditional dominance in the region.
Political observers note that while high-profile gubernatorial defections from the PDP have been relatively limited since 2023, the party has continued to grapple with internal divisions, loyalty disputes, and the movement of influential figures to rival platforms.
Ossai, in his reaction, also suggested that Wike’s influence within the PDP had been divisive, arguing that his current position in an APC administration undermines his criticism of defectors.
“The same Wike who destroyed the PDP is threatening APC governors,” he stated, further questioning whether the minister assumes other states would mirror the political dynamics of Rivers State.
