Following the crack in the main opposition party, the PDP, some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are making overtures to Rivers Gov. Nyesom Wike to pitch tent with them for the 2023 polls.
To this end, three APC governors led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Ekiti Gov. Kayode Fayemi have arrived in Port Harcourt for a “meeting” with Wike.
In the team are Governors Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), ex-Ekiti Gov. Ayodele Fayose of the People’s Democratic Party and Ekiti Governor-elect Biodun Oyebanji.
Persecondnews recalls that Wike’s relationship with PDP leaders and its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had become frosty following the picking of Delta Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate for 2023 polls.
Wike also lost the race for PDP presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar at the party’s primaries.
The Chairman of PDP’s Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, had said the party had set up a nine-member committee to beg Wike.
The details of the meeting are unknown yet but it is believed that the governors might be pressuring Wike to jump ship.
It was speculated that the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Wike had met in France, but was denied by Tinubu’s spokesman, Tunde Rahman, who described the reports as fake news.
Benue Governor Samuel Ortom, also accused Atiku of failing to honour the “democratic choice” in the selection of his running mate.
According to him, Wike, and others who backed (Wike) for the PDP vice-presidential ticket slot deserve a detailed explanation from the party’s presidential candidate.
Ortom said it was surprising that Atiku could jettison the recommendation of 14 out of 17 members of the committee that recommended Wike as his running mate.
“I was among the 17-man committee that was set up by the candidate himself and some of us said Wike should be the vice-president.
“We discussed that in our meeting and we said it did not matter if he had supported the presidential candidate or not, but all that we need is unity and how to make things work.
“Unfortunately, the candidate himself picked Okowa. Some of us have resorted to prayers. I was really confused because I felt Wike would have been the VP. He was the second person to Atiku and Wike has charisma. All of us have our weak points.”
“Wike can be something, but when it comes to mobilisation, impact, value addition and reaching out, Wike is an instrument. Wike is somebody who stood for the party.
“For some of us, we believed in him, but unfortunately, it was someone else. Well, the party is supreme but for some of us, for me, I have resorted to prayers,” Ortom had said.
Atiku had after announcing Okowa as his running mate said he picked Okowa because he has the qualities to be a President, adding he “is a President-in-waiting.”
“In arriving at the decision, I held wide consultations with various stakeholders in our party including our governors, the national working committee, board of trustees, and other leaders to seek their inputs and their wisdom.
“In these consultations, I made clear that my running mate would have the potential to succeed me at a moment’s notice, that is, a president-in-waiting,” Persecondnews quoted Atiku as saying.
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