We’ve started process to reclaim PDP from Wike – Party chieftain Nwobu

The former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, has described the reluctance of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to leave the party as cowardly.

In an interview with journalists in Awka on Thursday, Nwobu stated that it made no sense for Wike to claim he remained a member of PDP while openly supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He asserted that Wike lacked the courage to formalise his defection by officially joining the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, despite his overt support for the Tinubu government.

“If Wike were man enough, he would go and obtain an APC membership card. I am convinced he is a coward for insisting he is still a PDP member while backing President Tinubu. What kind of contradiction is that? You can’t claim loyalty to one party while promoting the interest of another. That is not how political integrity works,” Nwobu said.

He further remarked that during Wike’s tenure as governor, he wielded disproportionate influence over PDP, acting as an alter ego of the party and dictating who emerged in key positions.

“Back then, Wike did everything as if he was helping the party, but it’s now clear he had ulterior motives. He planted loyalists across the party structure, particularly in the National Working Committee, NWC. He acted as though he was defending the party’s interests, but he was laying the groundwork for his personal political ambition,” Nwobu stated.

He added that Wike’s lingering influence has made it difficult for the party to take disciplinary action against him, as many of his loyalists still occupy strategic positions and act as a protective buffer.

“While he was pretending to work for the party, he was actually entrenching himself. Most of the former NWC members owed their positions to him, from the national chairman to the secretary. Even now, he still sustains their loyalty through financial inducement, which is why it’s been difficult to confront the matter head-on,” Nwobu said.

He noted, however, that efforts to reclaim the party from Wike’s control have already begun.

“We’ve already dealt with the national secretary, and he’s out. Others will follow. The national secretary position is critical in any party, and removing his loyalists from such strategic offices will help restore integrity to the PDP,” he added.

Nwobu revealed that a meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, is scheduled for May, during which decisions taken by the NWC will be ratified. This will be followed by a national convention, at which new leadership is expected to emerge.

“With the emergence of a new leadership, the political colouration that has held the party hostage will be eliminated. Wike’s undue influence will finally be rooted out,” he added.