The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, is leading chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) working for the return of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections, Mr. Peter Obi, to the party.

This is according to sources within the PDP who confided in the Saturday Telegraph but who pleaded anonymity during the week.

Those who spoke with our correspondent on the issue stated that Wike, alongside other top chieftains of the PDP, have been wooing Obi ostensibly with the assurance that he would be the candidate of the party in 2027.

Obi was the vice presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019, contesting in the joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the presidential candidate.

He, however, left the PDP in the build-up to the 2023 general election for the Labour Party, coming third in the poll that was eventually won by incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while Atiku came second.

With crises engulfing the PDP and the Labour Party, Atiku is currently a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Obi has yet to declare for the party, although he has been fraternising with the platform.

Those in the know maintained that the camps of the two former partners are, however, sharply divided with regard to the mode by which the candidate of the ADC would emerge to challenge President Bola Tinubu come 2027.

While ADC members close to the former vice president are canvassing that the ticket be thrown open to all those aspiring for the ticket to contest, the camp of Obi is insisting that the party give the ticket to them since the incumbent is a Southerner.

The division is said to be creating tension within the ADC with regards to the way forward for the party ahead of the 2027 with many people speculating that Mr. Obi would eventually dump the ADC for another platform.

“I am aware that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is leading the PDP charge to bring back Mr. Peter Obi to the PDP with the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party,” a source who is a member of the National Working Committee of the PDP said.

According to the source, “The move by the minister is to starve off competition for the ticket of the PDP from other prominent members such as Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who are also interested in the ticket.”

The source added that the camp of the former River State, which is firmly in control of the party organs, has assured the former governor of the ticket of the PDP should he decide to return to the party.

When contacted on the phone to react to the speculation, the Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, the Peter Obi support group, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, hinted that indeed the development is true.

“Well, you know, the gold fish has no hiding place, and so when people are saying that they are reaching out to us, we take it in stride, but we are just focused on selling the candidature of Peter Obi, and we see him as a unifier, and that’s what we will maintain.

“And so any platform that wants to engage us, we are ready, if it’s just for the good of Nigeria,” Tanko told our correspondent.

Also contacted is the Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, who feigned ignorance of any moves by his principal to return Mr. Obi to the PDP.

In a terse response to the enquiries made to him by our correspondent via his social media messaging platform, Olayinka, who refused to be dragged into the details of the issues being sought, stated “No!’

When further asked if he was aware that any other top leader of the PDP is involved in the move, he responded by writing, “I am not.”

Prominent gladiators in the PDP also in contention for the presidential ticket include Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), and the immediate past governor of Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

“As we speak, I am only aware that three top members are in contention for the Presidential Ticket of the PDP, and to the best of my knowledge, Governor Seyi Makinde and Governor Bala Mohammed are the ones who have been moving around.

“I am also aware that some elements within the party are moving to draft former Governor (Ifeanyi) Ugwuanyi into the race; at least the move to draft him (Ugwuanyi) started a few weeks back,” the source, who is highly placed in the PDP, said.