**Efforts to Expel Nyesom Wike from PDP are Imperative, Says Atiku’s Spokesperson**

**Efforts to Expel Nyesom Wike from PDP are Imperative, Says Atiku’s Spokesperson**

Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki, the Director of Research, Strategy, and Documentation for Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, has stressed that the expulsion of Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, from the PDP is essential for the party’s survival.

Obaseki cited Wike’s calls for the suspension or expulsion of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his repeated criticisms of the party, and his history of betrayals as reasons to remove him from the party.

He explained that Wike’s ambitions to secure the PDP’s presidential nomination had led to numerous internal crises within the party. Obaseki argued that Wike had been inconsolable since his efforts, starting with his support for Uche Secondus for the party’s chairmanship, culminated in his defeat at the PDP presidential primaries.

Obaseki stated, “Wike was (/is) the problem of the PDP, and to expel Wike now is a task that must be done by the PDP.”

Responding to Wike’s call for Atiku’s expulsion from the party, Obaseki contended, “The person who deserves to be expelled from the party is the man who is calling for the expulsion of others from the party.”

He accused Wike of creating a faction within the party, campaigning against the party’s will, constitution, and structure, and fighting against many party members. Obaseki asserted that Wike had crossed a red line and that the PDP would not allow him to ride roughshod over the party and the majority of Nigerians.

Obaseki rejected Wike’s claim that he was fighting the party for violating its zoning rules, describing it as a form of blackmail. He argued that Wike had been pursuing his political agenda since 2021 and that the PDP had not officially zoned its presidential ticket to the South for the 2023 elections.

According to Obaseki, the PDP had given the South four out of six presidential terms since 1999, while the North had received two. He emphasized that Wike’s presidential aspirations were motivated by personal ambition rather than the party’s interests.

Obaseki pledged to continue the battle to reclaim the party’s allegedly stolen mandate through the courts, emphasizing that Nigerians deserved better.