Dele Momodu, Wike Differ on Atiku’s 2023 Presidential Race

•You’re interested only in Atiku’s money, minister replies

Chuks Okocha and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Ovation Magazine Publisher and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dele Momodu, has accused the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, of frustrating Peter Obi out of the PDP.

But Wike, in his reply, has rebuked Momodu as a mischievous person, only supporting Atiku Abubakar because of the money he stands to get.

In the build-up to the 2023 general election, Obi dumped the PDP for the Labour Party (LP), where he emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, Momodu said Wike was the reason Obi left the PDP.

He explained that ahead of the 2023 election, Atiku wanted the PDP to cede power to the Southeast rather than rotating it within a few regions.

He explained that Wike could have benefited from Atiku’s suggestion if he had not dissociated himself from the Southeast region.

According to Momodu, Wike disqualified himself by saying he was not an Igbo man, adding that the former governor of Rivers State declared that he was not interested in any Igbo agenda.

 Since the PDP was considering zoning its presidential ticket to the Southeast, Momodu alleged that Wike subsequently frustrated Obi out of the party to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

According to the Ovation publisher, “It was the same Wike people complaining about north-south that brought the committee through our party primary open. That’s why I was able to buy a form.

“I bought a form because, at that time, Atiku had told them that if they ceded 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 would not support it.

‘’He wanted them to cede power to the southeast. But because Wike had already disqualified himself by saying he’s not an Igbo man, he said he’s from south-south, he’s not interested in Igbo anything. So, he succeeded in frustrating Peter Obi out of the party, and the coast was clear for Nyesom Wike.”

The PDP chieftain further explained that the opposition party did not have a zoning problem until Wike and his allies within the party started using it to push a north-south agenda for the party’s presidential ticket.

In his reply, Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said Momodu would cease to support Atiku the moment the largess ceased to flow into his pocket.

“Only someone like Dele Momodu, who does not have knowledge of anything apart from his stomach would claim that it was Wike that drove Peter Obi out of the PDP,” he said.

He asserted that Atiku has been the weapon fashioned against the PDP since he frustrated the party’s efforts to win Lagos State in 2003.

He lambasted Momodu for lying on national television that Atiku wanted the PDP to cede power to the Southeast in 2023, asking why Atiku obtained Expression of Interest Form to contest for the PDP presidential ticket even when the Zoning Committee was yet to decide on zoning arrangement.

His words: “In his display of arrogance or mischief, Dele Momodu claimed that Atiku wanted PDP to field presidential candidate from the eastern part of the country, but he chose not to mention that the same Atiku had obtained Expression of Interest Form even when no decision had been taken on zoning.

“Also, was it Wike that made it Senator Gbenga Daniel, who was the Director General of Atiku Campaign to leave PDP less than two weeks after the 2019 presidential election?

“Was it Wike that made Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to leave the PDP? Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel was the Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign in 2023, his successor, Governor Umo Eno is on his way out of the PDP.

“The question is, why did everyone who worked closely with Atiku during the 2019 and 2023 leave him after the election? The reason can only be because someone is a selfish person who is only about himself alone.

“He (Dele Momodu) also claimed that Wike could have benefited from Atiku’s suggestion if he had not dissociated himself from the Southeast region, obviously forgetting that Wike is a proud Ikwerre man, unlike Dele Momodu who isn’t proud of his Edo origin,” Olayinka said.

Wike’s spokesman described Dele Momodu as a fair-weather friend, saying: “We are hearing all this noise from him because Atiku is paying his bills. Let Atiku stops paying, Oga Dele Momodu will move to the next victim.”