'Wike was instrumental to Obi's exit from PDP' - Paul Ibe

New insights have surfaced regarding Peter Obi's departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.

The rift within the PDP began when Atiku Abubakar, who had previously been the party's flagbearer four years earlier, announced his intention to run for the presidency again. This sparked political tension within the party.

However, key figures within the PDP pointed to the party's constitution, arguing that it was the southern region's turn to contend for the presidential ticket, as Atiku had already represented the northern region in the 2019 elections.

Reacting to the antecedent of the feud in the party, Paul Ibe, media aide to Atiku Abubakar, revealed that the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, orchestrated Obi's exit from the party.

During his appearance on the 'MIC ON PODCAST' hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, the Ibe revealed that Atiku was willing to forego his presidential aspiration on the condition that the presidency was micro-zoned to the southeast region where Obi hails from.

Ibe revealed that Wike countered Atiku's condition and promoted that the ticket be thrown open to the three sub-regions in the south (southeast, southwest and south-south).

He said, "Atiku Abubakar didn't in any way force Obi exit from the party. There were factors..The person that we just spoke about...Wike, was also instrumental in the exit of Obi.

"Because Wike had promoted the zoning of the presidency to the south. Atiku Abubakar had said that he was prepared to get himself off the ticket if the party zones the ticket to the southeast."

Ibe recounted that Wike frustrated the effort to zone the ticket to the southeast because of his ambition to run for president.

Recall that since the start of democratic governance, the southwest and the south-south have held the presidential seat, including the North.

However, the southeast has not been at the helm of affairs since the days of the first republic, which further triggers the question of why the southeast has been marginalised since the end of the Civil War era.