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.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
