Chief Dele Momodu, a top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and publisher of Ovation magazine, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of frustrating Peter Obi out of the party before the 2023 general elections.
Speaking on Arise Television on Wednesday, Momodu said Wike’s actions pushed Obi to leave the PDP for the Labour Party, where he became the presidential candidate.
Momodu explained that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had advised the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the Southeast to promote fairness and inclusion. However, Wike reportedly opposed this idea, saying he was from the South-South and not part of any Igbo agenda.
“Wike disqualified himself by saying he’s not an Igbo man and was not interested in any Igbo cause,” Momodu said.
He claimed that this position blocked the Southeast’s chances in the PDP and led to Obi’s exit from the party. “Wike succeeded in frustrating Peter Obi out of the party. So the coast was clear for him,” he added.
Momodu also said that the party had no real zoning crisis until Wike and his allies began pushing a north-south division within the PDP.
Peter Obi eventually ran under the Labour Party in the 2023 election and gained wide support, especially among Nigerian youths and urban voters.
