The 2023 presidential candidate , Atiku Abubakar, is not responsible for the exit of peter Obi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Atiku’s spokesperson Paul Ibe, who revealed this, said rather Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, caused Obi to quit the party
Ibe, who made the clarification in a reaction to the circumstances surrounding Obi’s departure, added that Wike was pursuing personal interests at the expense of PDP’s collective goals.
“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 stated in Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast released on Saturday.
Referring to the political tension between Wike and Atiku, Obi accused Wike of causing the exit of Obi from the party and his subsequent emergence.
“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.
Ibe accused Wike of undermining 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 O