The publisher of Ovation magazine and a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dele Momodu, has accused Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, of pushing Peter Obi out of the PDP.
In the lead-up to the 2023 general election, Obi left the PDP to join the Labour Party (LP), where he became the party’s presidential candidate.
During an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, Momodu claimed that Wike was the reason for Obi’s departure from the PDP.
He clarified that, prior to the 2023 election, Atiku had proposed that the PDP should transfer power to the Southeast instead of rotating it among a few regions.
Momodu suggested that Wike could have gained from Atiku’s proposal if he had not distanced himself from the Southeast.
According to Momodu, Wike excluded himself from consideration by stating that he did not identify as an Igbo person and expressing his lack of interest in any agenda pertaining to the Igbo.
As the PDP was contemplating zoning its presidential ticket to the Southeast, Momodu alleged that Wike created obstacles for Obi, ultimately allowing himself to position as the party’s presidential candidate.
Momodu said, “It was the same Wike people complaining about north-south that brought the committee through our party primary open. That’s why I was able to buy a form. I bought a form because, at that time, Atiku had told them that if they ceded power to the southeast, then it would make sense to him, but if it would still be a rotation between just a few zones, he would not support it. He wanted them to cede power to the southeast. But because Wike had already disqualified himself by saying he’s not an Igbo man, he said he’s from south-south, he’s not interested in Igbo anything, so he succeeded in frustrating Peter Obi out of the party. So, the coast was clear for Nyesom Wike.”
The PDP chieftain further explained that the opposition party did not have a zoning problem until Wike and his allies within the party started using it to push a north-south agenda for the party’s presidential ticket.