Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has cautioned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) risks self-destruction if it attempts to reintegrate former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi into the party.
During a media briefing on Monday, Wike stated that the PDP had not benefited from previous mistakes that cost it dearly in the 2023 general elections.
He recalled that he and other party leaders had constantly warned against permitting both the presidential candidate and the national chairman to come from the North, claiming that such a move was unjust and political suicide.
“From day one, I told my colleagues, PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay. And what did I say? You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor accused the PDP of “stealing” both positions and ignoring calls for fairness and balance, a decision he said contributed to the party’s loss at the polls.
“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 declared.
Wike stressed that the presidency must rotate back to the South to ensure equity and political stability.
According to him, the PDP’s hubris and inability to listen to internal warnings have left the party weakened and vulnerable.
He also denied reports of Obi’s likely return to the PDP, calling the action risky and hypocritical.
“To what? Bringing Obi to where? You want to kill the party? Obi 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,” Wike said.
The minister emphasized that such a decision would further erode the party’s credibility and destroy any remaining ideological foundation.
“If you want to destroy this party, dare it—bring Obi. There’s no way he will come back just because of ambition. No more ideology, no longer principle,” he added.
Wike maintained that he stood by his long-held stance that equity, justice, and zoning remain the only viable path for the PDP to regain national relevance.
