Don’t Fall for PDP’s Trap – Gen. Ijioma Cautions Peter Obi
Retired Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma has advised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to steer clear of any attempts to lure him back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning that such a move could threaten his political future.
Speaking during the July edition of the Ikengaonline town hall meeting, Ijioma strongly cautioned that the current state of the PDP makes it an unsafe space for Obi’s ambitions. He pointed specifically to the influence of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, whose political alignment, he argued, leans heavily towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“If I’m Peter Obi’s adviser, I will never advise him to go back to the PDP. With what is happening, the PDP is a carcass, and I believe that it is only vultures that feast on carcass. Returning to PDP with Wike hanging on there is risky. There’s no guarantee that his interest will not be undermined,” Gen. Ijioma warned.
Speaking on the broader topic of “Ndigbo and the 2027 Politics,” he described efforts to draw Obi back into the PDP as a deliberate setup designed to limit him politically. He also questioned Obi’s ongoing collaboration with the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC), urging him to reconsider his involvement if there’s no certainty of securing the presidential ticket.
“Another important thing I want to say is this and Peter Obi should hear this: He should be very careful with the coalition. If he is not sure of getting the presidential ticket of the coalition ADC, he should leave them and join any other party at all where he will emerge as the presidential candidate. The masses of Nigeria who understand how important Peter Obi is, will rally round him in whichever party that he decides to go. He will win in 2027.” extending his statement to reassure Peter Obi that – any party he has decided to join, the citizens of Nigeria will rally round him and make the party recognized and known even if its not too popular, but not for him to consider PDP as one he should join even if there is no certainty of securing the presidential ticket in ADC
The retired general emphasized that Obi remains the most nationally accepted candidate today, and said that the average Nigerian voter, already burdened by inflation and poor governance under APC, would follow him regardless of his political platform.
“Any party Peter Obi joins today, that party will become the rallying pot for the Nigerian masses who are at the receiving end of the bad governance by APC for the last 10 years,” he said.
Ijioma praised Obi as a man of integrity and national relevance, arguing that the Nigerian political elite – especially within the Igbo community – are the only ones standing in his way due to selfish agendas,their personal interests at that.
“The rest of the Nigerians, but not the political elite, have come to accept Peter Obi as one that has the qualification to lead Nigeria in 2027. I say this because I know that this present government, the APC government that started in 2015 has really plunged Nigeria into the abyss.”
Quoting former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he pointed out the lack of Igbo representation at the highest political level, despite the country having been led by Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, and even minority presidents. “I urge Nigerians to stand with Peter Obi he has what it takes to take Nigeria out of the suffering. It is only the Nigerian political elites and the Igbo political elites that are fighting against him because of their own selfishness,” he said.
He ended by calling on the Igbo community – both at home and abroad – to remain united behind Peter Obi, stating that from all corners of the country, no better candidate has emerged.
