Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazines and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike shot himself in the foot when he denounced being an Igbo man shortly before the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on some of the happenings within the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential campaign buildup, Momodu said the former Rivers State governor contributed to some of the crisis that rocked the party at the time.
The publisher accused Wike of frustrating Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party out of the PDP.
Momodu said the minister was responsible for the election committee that threw the party’s presidential ticket open and somewhat disorganised the process.
“It was the same Wike people complaining about North-South that brought the committee that threw our party primary open, that was why he was able to buy a form… I bought a form,” Momodu stated.
According to Momodu, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of the country was ready to cede his 2023 presidential ambition for a candidate from the Southeast region but made a u-turn when Wike’s committee threw the tickets open.
“Because at that time, Atiku had told them that if they could cede power to the Southeast, then it would make sense to him. But if it would still be a rotation between just a few zones, he will not support it.
“He wanted them to cede power to the Southeast but because Wike had already disqualified himself by saying he is not an Igbo man, he said he’s from South-South and not interested in Igbo anything.
“So he succeeded in frustrating Peter Obi out of the party so the coast was clear for Nyesom Wike. There was nobody who had the capacity, you must give it to him,” the PDP chieftain added.
