WIKE, NOT ATIKU, FRUSTRATED OBI OUT OF PDP…..IBE

 

Peter Gregory Obi was the vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019, but dumped the party for the Labour Party, LP, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

He was reportedly frustrated out of the party.

Paul Ibe, spokesperson of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Atiku Abubakar said the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike frustrated the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi out of the PDP, and not Atiku.

Ibe stated this in an interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast

According to Ibe, Atiku wanted the PDP to zone the 2023 presidential ticket to the Southeast but Wike worked against the move.

Obi contested  the 2023 presidential election, and secured  over six million votes.

The PDP and LP lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 election.

Since then, the main opposition party has been embroiled in internal crisis.

Speaking on the development, Ibe said Atiku was ready to zone the PDP presidential ticket to the Southeast.

Atiku’s spokesperson said Wike frustrated the move to zone PDP’s ticket to the Southeast.

Ibe said, “Atiku did not force Peter Obi out of the party, Wike was instrumental in the exit of Obi because Wike had promoted the zoning of the presidency to the south.

Ibe stated that Atiku was willing for the PDP ticket to be zoned to the south-east but Wike countered Atiku’s position and insisted that the ticket be thrown open to the three geopolitical zones in the south.

“Wike was also instrumental to the exit of Obi because he promoted the zoning of the presidency to the south. He believed that if it was zoned to the south, not the south-east, he would be in the best position to get the ticket,” Ibe said.

On May 25, 2022, Obi, former governor of Anambra, resigned his membership of the PDP.

Obi left the PDP days to the party’s presidential primary, stating that “recent developments in the party do not support constructive contributions”.

On May 27, 2022, Obi joined the Labour Party (LP).

The former governor was scheduled to participate in the PDP presidential primary scheduled for May 28, 2022.

He said his decision to join LP aligned with the interest of Nigerians across different sectors, adding that he wanted to take the country from consumption to production.

On May 30, 2022 , Obi was declared winner of the LP presidential primary.

On May 28, 2022, the special national convention of the PDP took place in the velodrome of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

Prior to the commencement of voting, Aminu Tambuwal, then Sokoto governor, withdrew from the contest.

Tambuwal asked his supporters to support the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar who went on to win the presidential ticket of the PDP.

To clinch the ticket, he floored Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Udom Emmanuel, ex-Akwa Ibom governor; Nyesom Wike, then Rivers governor; Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor; among others.

Abubakar polled 371 votes and was declared winner, while Wike, his closest challenger, secured 237 votes.

Saraki placed third with 70 votes, followed by Emmanuel (38), and Mohammed (20).

Whatever interest that Wike has clearly shows that it’s at variance with the interest of the PDP.

There is no doubt about it that the Atiku-Obi ticket of 2019 was viable and it still remains viable because the LP took away some of the votes of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election.”

Since both PDP and LP lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 poll, the leading opposition party is yet to resolve its internal crisis.