By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not been able to sanction Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over alleged anti-party activities because no formal petition backed up by verifiable evidence has been written against him.
The PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, said a petition with evidence has to be submitted to the party leadership before an action can be taken against any member.
Osuoha, who was speaking in Abuja, said that while the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has established a disciplinary committee led by elder statesman Chief Tom Ikimi, with Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as secretary, no member has been sanctioned to date.
“People often ask me specifically about the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike — why don’t we discipline him? Why don’t we take action? I tell them: It is not enough to merely say someone has committed an offence,” Osuoha stated.
He emphasized that anyone accusing a party member must file a formal petition and be ready to testify and present evidence when the accused is summoned.
“When that petition is written and presented, the petitioner must also be ready to come and testify. If the person accused is invited, you must come with your evidence,” he said.
According to Osuoha the challenges facing disciplinary enforcement are not unique to the PDP, but reflect broader systemic issues in Nigeria’s political and legal institutions.
“This is the same problem with our wider Nigerian system. It is not just about pointing out anomalies; the challenge is following them up to a conclusion,” he said.