Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, said Mr Peter Obi should not be allowed to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
There have been reports that some PDP leaders have approached Obi, seeking that he should rejoin the party.
Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 election, has neither owned up to the claims nor disputed it.
However, Wike has warned that his entrance into the PDP would lead to the destruction of the umbrella party.
The Minister made the claims during a media chat on Monday, during which he also warned that the PDP National Convention may not hold if things were not done properly, just as he re-echoed his stand on zoning of positions.
He said, “From day one, I told my colleagues, PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay. And what did I say? You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party.
“It is better now you have stolen the presidential ticket—and again stole the national chairman. I said it will purge you. And it really purged them. I have no regret for it,” he declared.
On Obi’s possible return to the PDP, Wike described the move as dangerous and hypocritical.
“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.
“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 said.
The Minister further announced that his team within the PDP would be meeting later today, during which they would take a stand on the PDP convention.
"The issue of the National convention is not the problem, the issue is the problems leading to the convention and people should understand that.
"PDP has agreed to setup a committee for the Southeast and Ebonyi.
"Our own team is meeting by 7pm today and you will hear what we have to say. We are not contesting the venue of the convention, what we are saying is that the things leading to the convention if they are not well taken care of, there are likelihood that the convention will not hold.
"The venue is not the subject matter. The subject matter is have you done what you are supposed to do before holding that convention? So you now go and turn it that I said Ibadan will not hold the convention, no that is not correct.
"We have held conventions in different venues before - we have held conventions in Port Harcourt and Abuja, so the party can decide whether to hold it in Sokoto or Borno but what we are saying is before you get to the convention, have you done what you are supposed to do?
"If you have not done it, it may be a setback and the PDP from what I learnt have taken some steps to see that the issues are being resolved and if resolved to the satisfaction of the complaint, no problem but if they are not of course they will take action," he warned.
Wike has been fighting to remain in control of the PDP despite his closeness with President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He has made it clear he will work for Tinubu's re-election in 2027.
