Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2023 presidential election has narrated how Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, chased Peter Obi out of PDP.
Ibe in Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast released on Saturday accused Wike of prioritizing personal interests over the collective objectives of the party.
He said, “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’s remarks follow the recent political tension between Wike and Atiku, which reportedly played a role in Peter Obi’s departure from the party and his subsequent selection as the Labour Party’s candidate.
Addressing the circumstances surrounding Obi’s departure, Ibe stated that Atiku did not orchestrate 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 explained.
However, Ibe pointed fingers at Wike, accusing him of playing a pivotal role in Obi’s departure due to his ambition 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 undermined efforts to zone the ticket to the South East, fearing it would diminish his chances of clinching 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 viability of the Atiku-Obi ticket, suggesting that the Labor Party’s performance in the 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 stated.
Ibe further urged all stakeholders, including Atiku, to examine what went wrong.
He said, “I believe this is time to reflect and look at what went wrong, and I want to believe that all the actors, including His Excellency Atiku, have that reflection, perhaps that is why he (Atiku) keeps urging for a coalition of the opposition because if they stand together, that allows them to be able to oust the ruling party.”