In a recent statement, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki, the Director of Research, Strategy, and Documentation for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 Presidential Campaign, has pointedly identified Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers state and current FCT Minister, as the primary obstacle facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Obaseki did not mince words as he criticized Wike for his repeated calls for the suspension or expulsion of the former Vice President, along with his continuous verbal attacks on the party and his history of betrayals.
“The former Rivers State governor,” Obaseki stated, “has played a significant role in many, if not all, of the internal crises within the PDP due to his unbridled ambition to secure the party’s presidential nomination.”
According to Obaseki, Wike’s frustrations became evident when he openly supported Uche Secondus for the party’s chairmanship and ultimately witnessed Secondus’s defeat in the PDP presidential primaries.
In response to the call for Atiku’s removal from the PDP, Obaseki had this to say: “The person who should face expulsion from the party is the one calling for the expulsion of others. Wike is the mastermind behind a faction within the party, known as the G-5, which has actively campaigned against the party’s interests and violated its constitution and structure.”
Obaseki went on to list prominent politicians who cited Wike as their reason for leaving the PDP, including Bello Matawalle, Dave Umahi, and Professor Ben Ayade.
He also accused Wike of crossing a “red line” and warned that the campaign against him would be relentless: “He has unleashed the dogs of war, and we will not stand idly by as he rides roughshod over the party and the majority of Nigerians, as he did during his eight years in control of Rivers State.”
Obaseki further explained, “I presented my case to the governors in December 2021 in Asaba, but Nyesom Wike disagreed with my proposal because he wanted open primaries. While I advocated for the South-East and the North-East, Wike’s motives were self-serving, as he aimed to prepare the ground for his own presidential bid.”
Obaseki concluded by questioning Wike’s moral right to seek the presidency when the previous Southern president and the last PDP president hailed from the same former Rivers State. “Wike was fighting for his personal cause while undermining the broader interests of the party,” Obaseki asserted.
