Wike urged to honour his promise to back whoever emerged as the PDP presidential candidate

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been reminded to keep the promise he made to Nigerians during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries in Abuja to support whoever emerges.

 

In late May, the PDP elected former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as its flagbearer for next year's presidential election at its annual convention in Abuja. He has since picked Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate, which has caused some consternation in the Wike camp, as some party members expected him to be selected.

 

A PDP committee had drawn up a shortlist of potential running mates for Alhaji Abubakar that included Governor Wike, Governor Okowa and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State. Atiku chose Governor Okowa of the three and there are now fears that Governor Wike might work against Atiku’s ambition following his loss.

 

Governor Wike's team is thought to feel a sense of entitlement, particularly as he came second to Alhaji Abubakar in the party primaries. Signs that the PDP might run into stormy waters became pronounced with the defection of some of Governor Wike’s supporters from the party, prompting Atiku to act, as he believes the party needs to go into the 2023 general elections with a united front.

 

Aside from the resignations of two Wike allies including former Niger Delta minister  Godsday Orubebe and an ex-commissioner in Edo State, Kassim Afegbua, a mass exodus of party members is feared to be looming. As a result Atiku has constituted a team to appease the Wike camp and fully bring them into his campaign council.

 

Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, an All Progressives Congress leader from Rivers State, recently reminded Governor Wike that he had promised to support anyone who eventually emerges as the PDP candidate for the 2023 elections. He added that Governor Wike had said so without duress to show his loyalty and commitment to the party.

 

Recently, Governor Wike had in an interview on a national television promised to expose some recent happenings in the PDP. However, Chief Eze, an ally to the former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, said such threats do not hold water and only present the governor and his cohorts as busybodies, saying nothing under the sun was new about Atiku Abubakar.

 

Chief Eze said: “Is he going to tell us that he never wasted Rivers State funds in the wild goose chase of the PDP presidential ticket in which he was thoroughly defeated? Or is he going to tell us that he never mobilised to be appointed as the vice presidential candidate of the PDP?

 

"Or is Wike going to tell us that he never vowed to support whoever emerged as the PDP presidential flagbearer? In case he has forgotten, he should listen to the video containing his speech where he thundered and vowed that he would support, to the fullest, anybody who emerges PDP flagbearer.

 

“I have counselled Wike to pipe down and accept his fate. His past deeds and unwarranted and unguided utterances were the major factors that worked against him in not clinching the PDP presidential ticket or becoming the vice presidential candidate to the PDP presidential flagbearer.”

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