Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has levied strong accusations against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alleging that Wike is prioritizing personal ambitions over the collective goals of the party.
In a candid interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast released on Saturday, Ibe expressed his concerns regarding Wike’s actions within the PDP, suggesting that Wike’s agenda may not align with the broader interests of the party.
“Well, Wike has charted different paths to serve his interest because I don’t understand what interest, is it the PDP interest? It cannot be.
It is his interest all well and good for him,” Ibe remarked.
Ibe’s remarks come amidst escalating political tensions between Wike and Atiku, which have reportedly contributed to the departure of Peter Obi from the PDP and his subsequent emergence as the Labour Party’s standard-bearer.
Clarifying the circumstances surrounding Obi’s exit from the party, Ibe emphasized that Atiku did not play a role in orchestrating the split.
“Atiku Abubakar didn’t in any way force Obi’s exit from the party. It’s not about relationships (Atiku managing the relationship between himself and Obi), there were factors,” he clarified.
However, Ibe pointed fingers at Wike, alleging that the Minister played a pivotal role in Obi’s departure due to his ambitions to secure the presidency for the southern region.
“Wike was also instrumental to Obi’s exit because Wike had promoted his zone of the presidency to the south.
Atiku had said that he was prepared to get himself off the ticket if the party zones to the ticket to the southeast,” Ibe revealed.
According to Ibe, Wike actively worked against efforts to zone the presidential ticket to the South East, fearing it would diminish his chances of securing the nomination.
“Wike frustrated that effort because he believed that if it was zoned to the South and not the South East, he would have been in the best position to get the ticket.
So he was instrumental in the exit of Obi out of the party,” Ibe asserted.
Reflecting on the 2019 presidential election, Ibe acknowledged the strength of the Atiku-Obi ticket and suggested that the Labor Party’s performance in recent polls drew votes away from the PDP.
“No doubt that the Atiku-Obi ticket of 2019 was a viable ticket and remained viable (if it happened in the 2023 elections) because the Labor Party took away some of the votes of the PDP,” he remarked.
As the rift between Atiku and Wike deepens, stakeholders within the PDP are urged to engage in introspection and foster unity to bolster the party’s prospects in future elections.
