Wike to Challenge Tinubu in 2027? PDP Told to Give 2027 Presidential Ticket to FCT Minister to Avoid Repeat of 2023 Mistakes

Wike to Challenge Tinubu in 2027? PDP Told to Give 2027 Presidential Ticket to FCT Minister to Avoid Repeat of 2023 Mistakes

 

 

A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Tom FredFish, has called on the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South-South region and specifically to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike.

 

According to FredFish, this move is essential to salvaging the party from further decline and avoiding the electoral missteps that marred its 2023 campaign.

 

BREAKING: Drama As Wike, Umahi, others rush to London to unveil Tinubu’s achievements

 

Speaking during a media parley in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, FredFish—who also chairs the PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ)—argued that Wike remains the party’s most formidable asset in the South and perhaps its only realistic chance to reclaim power at the national level.

 

“The PDP should not waste its time setting up reconciliation committees without addressing the core issue of zoning the presidency to the South-South,” FredFish said.

 

“Wike is the only robust and credible candidate in the South who can take on and potentially defeat President Bola Tinubu. Without him, the PDP cannot stand.”

 

He described the party’s current leadership structure as weak and ineffective, citing the poor performance of southern governors, a handicapped National Executive Committee (NEC), and an inactive Board of Trustees (BOT).

 

“No one in the PDP today has Wike’s resources, reach, and access to the judiciary,” he added. “He is the soul of the party, the redeemer, and the solution to its ongoing misfortunes.”

 

Despite acknowledging Wike’s controversial relationship with President Tinubu and his role in the party’s internal divisions, FredFish insisted the PDP should make a strategic decision to endorse Wike as its flagbearer.

 

“If the PDP has to kneel to beg for his forgiveness, let it do so,” he said. “Let Nigerians see if he will accept the ticket and resign from his ministerial post, or if he will reject it and continue aiding the APC while undermining the PDP.”

 

FredFish also dismissed the current reconciliation efforts spearheaded by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, urging him to instead recommend zoning the ticket to the South-South. He expressed skepticism about the efficacy of any unity moves that do not include Wike at their core.

 

The remarks are likely to stir debate within the PDP, which continues to grapple with internal fractures and an identity crisis following its loss in the last presidential election.

 

Wike, who played a divisive role in the 2023 campaign, has since taken a high-profile position in the APC-led federal government, further complicating his position within the PDP.