PDP can’t challenge Tinubu with Wike as national leader, party chieftain warns

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dan Ulasi, has warned that the party stands no chance of unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027 as long as Nyesom Wike remains its national leader, threatening to quit if the contradiction is not resolved.

Ulasi stated this in an interview on Arise TV on Thursday.

“I don’t see my party as presently constituted challenging Tinubu with Wike as national leader. These are part of the contradictions, which if I’m not properly informed and explained to, I will leave the party. And I want to be quoted accurately,” he said.

The PDP stalwart also declared that Wike cannot simultaneously serve as the party’s national leader while supporting President Bola Tinubu, warning that he may quit the party if the contradiction is not addressed.

“I told Wike when last we met that you cannot be the national leader of PDP and then be supporting President Ahmed Tinubu. That is very unconstructive,” he said.

He questioned what role Wike would play should another candidate emerge as the PDP presidential flag-bearer ahead of the 2027 election.

“Supposing I or somebody else emerges as the presidential candidate of PDP, what will he be doing as leader of the party? Will he attend our convention? Will he attend our rallies? Or will he be going to that of APC? So that is the problem Wike has to explain,” he said.

Ulasi warned that the next party meeting could be his last if satisfactory answers were not provided.

“This might be one of the last I will attend. If I’m not satisfied with the explanations they will give, you will hear from me again because I cannot run a contradictory process,” he said.

Ulasi also confirmed that Peter Obi had visited him at his residence, disclosing that Obi had been to his house four times in the current year alone, most recently after an appearance at Coal City University in Enugu.

“He just gave me about 30 minutes’ notice that he was coming. And I called a couple of my friends, some top Southeasterners who were in town. And they came,” he said.

He spoke glowingly of Obi’s vision, though stopped short of announcing any formal political alignment.

“If you listen to Peter Obi one-on-one, you will have hope for this country. You will have tremendous hope that somebody has a concept of what he wants to do and how he will do it for the overall benefit of our people,” he said.

Ulasi said his attachment to the PDP ran deep, noting that he was present at its founding alongside late former Vice-President Alex Ekueme and others.

“I was the one standing directly behind late Dr. Alex Ekueme and a couple of other people by my side, and Atiku and his group were on the other side, and that’s how PDP was formed. That is why you can see I’m very, very reluctant,” he said.

He added that should he eventually leave the party, he would not join any other.

“I tell people once I leave the PDP, I will just be a private consultant to anybody who comes to ask me questions. I will not enter any other party because I’ve never done that in the past,” he said.