RismadarVoice Reporters
July 1, 2026
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he was surprised the opposition party was still in existence and urging the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to allow it to “die.”
Akpabio made the remarks on Tuesday while representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of Akinwumi Ajibola Street in the Gaduwa District of Abuja.
While acknowledging dignitaries at the event, the Senate President referred to Olaka Nwogu, who recently won the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election on the platform of the PDP.
“I didn’t know there was still PDP,” Akpabio remarked before jokingly telling Wike to stop creating confusion by keeping the party alive.
He added that he had no interest in discussing the PDP’s affairs, insisting that “anything that has died has died.”
Nwogu was declared winner of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 47,961 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Osar Erewari, who secured 1,647 votes.
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Barry Mpigi in February.
Akpabio also commended Wike for what he described as his outstanding performance as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the pace of infrastructure development under his leadership had transformed Abuja.
He praised Wike and President Tinubu for what he described as remarkable achievements in the nation’s capital, adding that the ongoing projects had exceeded the performance of previous administrations.
Wike, who remains a member of the PDP despite serving in the APC-led Federal Government, has continued to face criticism from within his party, with his role in President Tinubu’s administration contributing to internal divisions within the opposition party.
