The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) risks political extinction if it fields former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

 

Wike made the statement while reacting to recent developments within the party, following the PDP’s decision last week to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South—a region Obi hails from. The zoning decision was reached at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.

 

According to Wike, bringing back Obi—who defected from the PDP to contest under the Labour Party in 2023—would not only be hypocritical but also dangerous for the party’s survival.

 

“To what? Bringing Obi to where? You want to kill the party? Obi that was abusing the party, saying it is rotten—so the party is now good enough for him? Ambition can make people even go to Satan’s house,” Wike declared.

 

The former Rivers State governor accused the PDP of repeating the same mistakes that led to its defeat in the 2023 elections, recalling how he had earlier warned against allowing both the presidential candidate and the national chairman to come from the North, which he described as a politically “suicidal” move.

 

“From day one, I told my colleagues, PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay,” he said.

 

“You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party. You have stolen both positions, and it purged you. I have no regret for it.”

 

Wike argued that Obi’s return to the PDP would further damage the party’s already fragile ideological base and called the move one driven by ambition rather than principle.

 

“If you want to destroy this party, dare it—bring Obi. There’s no way he will come back just because of ambition. No more ideology, no longer principle,” Wike warned.

 

He emphasized that the only viable path for the PDP to regain national relevance is through equity, justice, and adherence to zoning arrangements, stating that the presidency must return to the South in 2027 for political balance and stability.

 

Wike’s latest remarks underscore growing internal tensions within the PDP as it prepares for the next general elections. His comments may also complicate any potential negotiations or reconciliation efforts aimed at bringing Peter Obi back into the fold.

 

Peter Obi, who ran under the Labour Party in 2023 and came third in the presidential race, is yet to make any official statement regarding a possible return to the PDP.