With APC’s massive war chest, Atiku’s calculation was to have a sitting governor of the South-South as his running mate among Wike, Okowa and Udom Emmanuel.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, would have settled for Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike as a running mate if the circumstances were not complicated, TheNiche can authoritatively report.
Wike has proven to be a strong and fearless force in Nigeria’s politics. Recall that Atiku defeated him in the presidential primary of the PDP held on Saturday, May 28, only after some northern stalwarts, including former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau (rtd), and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, among others prevailed on some of the northern aspirants in the race to step down for the former vice president.
Atiku won the presidential primary with 371 votes, while Wike polled 237 votes.
The 2023 presidential election will be Atiku’s third attempt as flagbearer, and the fifth as an aspirant.
TheNiche gathered that the veteran presidential contender no longer has the kind of war chest he used in prosecuting previous elections.
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So, in choosing a running mate, Atiku wanted a candidate that could solve two major issues for him – bring money on the table and deliver votes, especially those from the South. Wike had proved that he has the capacity to do both without breaking too much sweat.
For Atiku, Wike presents the ideal choice to guarantee victory in the 2023 poll. But the choice of a running mate is not only for Atiku to make. Northern stalwarts who helped Atiku secure the presidential ticket of the PDP also made some input, and theirs convinced Atiku in rejecting Wike as his running mate.
They claim that Wike is anti-north given his previous actions and utterances. They recalled that in September 2019, Wike ordered the demolition of a Mosque in the Trans -Amadi area of Port Harcourt which the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar at the time condemned. They fear that Islamic clerics in the North would mount a vigorous opposition against the PDP ticket should Wike be Atiku’s running mate especially as the All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to announce a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Wike is also accused of being a divisive figure who has no restraint in engaging in media spats with top party leaders as he did with the former national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
Okowa, on the other hand, has no such political baggage. He comes from the oil-rich Delta State with enormous money that could come in handy for the election. He is also seen as level-headed among PDP leaders with no divisive tendency.