Atiku facing uphill struggle as four PDP governors are reported to be working for Tinubu

FORMER vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is facing an uphill battle ahead of next year's presidential elections after it just emerged that four governors from his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are supporting his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival.

In late June at its annual convention in Abuja, the PDP, elected Alhaji Abubakar as its flagbearer for next year's presidential election. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was a candidate in that election but he was beaten into second place and to make matters worse for him, he was not then picked as the party's running mate.

With Alhaji Abubakar opting to pick Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate, Governor Wike has been on the war path and there are now fears that he will dump the PDP. Among other things, he has been fraternizing with members of the ruling APC  lately, amid talk of him possibly decamping.

Over the last three weeks, there have been a series of meetings in London to resolve the crisis, with Atiku flying to the UK to meet with Governor Wike in person. Now, rumour has it that four PDP governors are already working for APC presidential candidate, former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

One reliable PDP source said that the four southern governors, two from the southeast, one from the southwest and one from the south-south geo-political zones are working for Tinubu’s candidacy. He added that everything is now about personal interest, as one of the governors is seeking re-election, while others are seeking soft-landings if Tinubu wins the presidency.

Governor Wike blamed his loss on religion, betrayal by the party leadership, especially, the national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, whose sudden decision to stand down for Atiku, he claimed, tilted the presidential primary result against him. He has since been fraternising with Asiwaju Tinubu which also led to the recent London meeting.

Governors loyal to Wike, including Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), had met with Asiwaju Tinubu in London to consider the possibility of working together. Attempts by Atiku to placate all these irate party members has so far yielded no results, especially as he has refused to act on their request to get party chairman Senator Ayu to stand down.