By Deborah Nnamdi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against any attempt to reintegrate former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, warning that such a move could lead to the party’s downfall.
Speaking during a media chat on Monday, Wike accused the PDP of failing to learn from the strategic missteps that contributed to its poor performance in the 2023 general elections.
He recalled warning party leaders ahead of the polls about the dangers of allowing both the presidential candidate and the national chairman to emerge from the North — a decision he described as unjust, unwise, and politically reckless.
“From day one, I told my colleagues in the PDP, ‘You are shooting yourselves in the foot.’ If you allow this to continue, you’ll pay the price,” Wike stated. “You can’t have both the presidential candidate and the national chairman from the same region.”
The former Rivers State governor criticized what he called the party’s “theft” of both positions, alleging that the leadership deliberately ignored appeals for fairness and regional balance.
“It was a hijack — they stole the presidential ticket and also stole the chairmanship. I warned it would purge the party. And it did. I have no regrets saying so,” he said.
Wike reaffirmed his belief that the presidency should rotate to the South, insisting that equity, justice, and zoning are essential to restoring political stability and unity within the PDP.
Turning to speculations about Peter Obi’s potential return to the PDP, Wike dismissed the idea outright, describing it as hypocritical and destructive.
“To what end? Bring Obi back to do what? You want to kill the party?” he asked. “This is someone who called the PDP rotten—now, because of ambition, he wants to return? Ambition can drive people to even go to Satan’s house.”
The minister warned that readmitting Obi would further damage the PDP’s credibility and ideological foundation.
“If you want to destroy this party, go ahead—bring Obi back. It would mean ideology and principles no longer matter,” he said.
Wike concluded by reiterating his stance that without a commitment to equity, justice, and proper zoning, the PDP will continue to struggle for relevance on the national stage.
