The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed why he did not pick the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as his running mate.
Contrary to speculations, he said he did not reject Wike, but that he only chose someone he felt could deliver among the nominees that were presented to him as well as someone he could work with “amicably”.
Persecondnews reports that lately the PDP has been embroiled in a lot of controversies following Atiku’s choice of his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, for the 2023 presidential election.
The PDP presidential flagbearer, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Arise TV on Friday monitored by Persecondnews, said his running mate should have the potential to succeed him at a moment’s notice.
He said: “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.
“In other words, the person must have the qualities to be President. The person must have an appreciation of the deep rot which our country has been put into by the rudderless All Progressives Congress government; understands the great suffering that most of our people are going through and the urgency of relieving them of that suffering.
“He must understand the critical importance of economic growth and development to provide our young people with jobs, hope, and a pathway to wealth.”
On efforts to reconcile with Wike, Atiku said: “We are reaching out to Governor Wike and we are talking with him and I believe very soon we will find reconciliation.
“We are talking to him and talking to his governor’s colleagues. I observe very well the mistake, we are going to resolve our internal crisis and move on.”
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