2027: PDP will die if Obi returns – Wike 

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday opposed the return of former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He cautioned the leadership of PDP over the readmission of Obi, adding that such a decision would amount to an act of self-destruction for the opposition party.

Wike gave the warning while speaking during his monthly live media chat monitored by our correspondents.

He accused the PDP of failing to learn from the “political suicide” that led to its defeat in the 2023 general election.

The minister based his argument on the party’s neglect of the principles of zoning and equity, recounting that he and other leaders had forewarned the party against allowing both its presidential candidate and national chairman to emerge from the same northern region, a structure he condemned as fundamentally unjust.

“From day one, I told my colleagues, ‘PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay. You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party,” he said.

The FCT minister accused the party leadership of arrogantly disregarding the calls for balance, a decision he believed directly led to PDP’s electoral downfall.

“It is better now that you have stolen the presidential ticket, and again stolen the national chairman. I said it will purge you. And it really purged them. I have no regret for it,” he said.

Wike questioned the logic of welcoming back a personality who he described as having publicly condemned the PDP.

“To what? Bringing Obi to where? You want to kill the party? Obi, who was abusing the party, saying it is rotten, so the party is now good enough for him? Ambition can make people even go to Satan’s house,” he said.

The minister insisted that such a move, driven by mere political ambition, would obliterate the party’s remaining credibility and ideological foundation.

“If you want to destroy this party, dare it, bring Obi. There is no way he will come back just because of ambition. No more ideology, no longer principle,” he said.

He reaffirmed his long-held stance that the only viable path for the PDP to regain national prominence is a strict adherence to the principles of rotation, equity, and justice, ensuring the presidency returns to the South.

Wike said obi do not have character and can never be trusted.

He said Obi’s decision to rule for four years is deceitful.  

Source: The Nation