A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman of the PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ), Dr. Tom FredFish, has urged the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South-South region and present the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, as its flagbearer.
Speaking during a media parley in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, FredFish declared that the only path to peace and party unity lies in honouring PDP’s zoning tradition — a step he claims Wike himself has previously championed.
He criticized the recently announced reconciliation committee by the PDP, dismissing it as a futile effort, stating, “What and who are they going to reconcile?”
According to him, “Wike is the only robust and credible southern candidate capable of winning a national election against President Bola Tinubu. Without Wike, the PDP cannot stand. He is the soul of the party, the redeemer, and the only one with the finance, influence, and reach to turn things around.”
FredFish also took aim at the current PDP structure, describing the governors as weak, the National Executive Committee (NEC) as ineffective, and the Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, as “in a coma.”
He insisted that only Wike has the capacity to stop mass defections within the PDP, arguing that the FCT Minister’s influence even within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) makes him the most strategic asset the opposition party has.
In a dramatic twist, FredFish criticized Wike for allegedly undermining the very party that gave him prominence, yet still insisted the PDP should hand him the ticket — if only to test his loyalty and commitment.
“Let Nigerians see if he would resign as FCT Minister and pursue the presidency, or continue serving President Tinubu while weakening the PDP from within,” he said.
FredFish also dismissed former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s role in the ongoing reconciliation efforts, urging him to push for zoning the presidential ticket to the South-South instead.
He concluded by warning that unless the party reconciles with Wike and gives him the presidential ticket, it risks further internal collapse and a potential wipeout in the next general election.
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