The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has made a scathing revelation regarding the internal dynamics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asserting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was the “weapon fashioned against the PDP” during the 2023 election cycle.
Lere Olayinka, who serves as spokesperson to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, made the statement via his official X handle on Wednesday, where he revisited the controversy surrounding Wike’s exclusion from the PDP presidential ticket as a running mate to Atiku in the last election.
According to Olayinka, key PDP stakeholders intentionally blocked Wike’s vice-presidential bid, claiming that he would be “too strong to control” if elected as Vice President. The decision, Olayinka said, was part of a wider agenda that ultimately weakened the party and sowed discord ahead of the 2023 polls.
“They told us then that Wike will be too strong as Vice President, it will be difficult to control him… Then too, they termed us as disloyal to the party. Since 2003, Atiku has remained the weapon formed against PDP,” Olayinka posted.
His comments come amid deepening cracks within the PDP, following a series of high-profile defections. The most recent is the defection of former Delta State governor and Atiku’s 2023 running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Okowa said his decision to leave the PDP was to “connect Delta State to the Federal Government,” revealing that Atiku himself confided in him about plans to dump the PDP.
This development has further validated the claims of many party insiders who believe that the PDP is currently grappling with a leadership vacuum and ideological disarray.
The crisis in the PDP has its roots in the party’s controversial decision to jettison its zoning formula during the 2023 presidential primaries. While the North had already produced the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, southern stakeholders, including Wike, demanded that the presidential ticket be zoned to the South for equity and balance.
However, Atiku, a northern candidate, emerged as the PDP flag bearer, triggering the rebellion led by Wike and the formation of the G-5 Governors, also known as the Integrity Group. The group, comprising Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), boycotted PDP’s presidential campaign and instead backed rival candidates. Wike, Makinde, and Ikpeazu reportedly supported Bola Tinubu of the APC, while Ortom supported Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
The fallout from the 2023 election continues to haunt the PDP. With Atiku’s perceived lack of leadership and loyalty, and Okowa’s sudden exit, the party appears to be losing grip on its core southern strongholds. Wike’s influence in the FCT and his continuing alliance with the APC-led federal government have further blurred party lines.
Analysts suggest that unless the PDP embarks on an urgent internal restructuring, the wave of defections and disillusionment could further erode its political base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lere Olayinka’s revelation underscores the long-standing power tussle and mistrust within the PDP. By labelling Atiku as a “weapon formed against PDP,” he reflects a growing sentiment that the party’s biggest threat lies not outside, but within its own ranks. As defections continue and internal wounds fester, the future of Nigeria’s main opposition party hangs in the balance.