PDP would be destroyed if Obi returns to party, says Wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says bringing Peter Obi back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would sound the death knell for the opposition platform.

Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor; and Abba Moro, senator representing Benue south; among others, recently said party chieftains have been locked in discussions with Obi and ex-president Goodluck Jonathan over their possible return to the party.

Obi left the PDP days before the party’s 2023 presidential primary, stating that “recent developments in the party do not support constructive contributions”.

On May 27, 2022, Obi joined the Labour Party (LP), becoming the party’s standard-bearer for the 2023 vote.

The politician recently pitched tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.

‘HE INSULTED PARTY’

Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said returning Obi to the PDP fold would be counter-productive.

The minister claimed that the former Anambra governor once described the PDP as “rotten”.

He also wondered why Obi should be handed the party’s presidential ticket after others have put in the work to keep it afloat.

“Obi was abusing the party, saying it is rotten. So now the party is suddenly good enough for him to come and contest on its platform?” Wike asked.

The minister said it would be wrong for the PDP to open its doors to someone who “publicly discredited the same organisation”.

“That kind of ambition can make people even go to Satan’s house,” he said.

The PDP has been embroiled in crisis since the last general election. Wike warned that any attempt to bring back Obi would amount to “destroying the party further”.

“Anybody suggesting that Obi should return is entitled to their opinion. But if you want to destroy this party, then bring Obi back,” he said.

Obi polled third in the 2023 presidential poll with 6,101,533 votes, behind Atiku Abubakar of the PDP (6,984,520 votes), and eventual winner Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 8,794,726 votes.