Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has discussed why he did not select Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, as his running partner in 2023.
According to The Intercept, Wike lost to Atiku for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in the 2023 election.
In the election, Atiku chose former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to replace the outgoing vice president, despite the overwhelming hopes that he would do so.
The decision, according to many party stakeholders, is what led to the current confrontation between Atiku and Wike, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie for the television program Untold Stories, which airs today, Wednesday, Atiku remembered how party officials accused him of not conducting enough consultation before selecting Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, as his running mate in 2019.
“They said I did not consult with the party enough. So, in 2023, I threw the whole thing to the party. I said, ‘Okay, set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as a running mate”, he said.
The former VP noted that the committee submitted three names, with Ifeanyi Okowa as the first choice, Wike as the second, and former Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel as the third.
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“So I picked number one,” he said, adding that his decision not to pick Wike was simply because he was the second choice on the list.
His record-tying six-time presidential candidate, Atiku, however, claimed he had no remorse over passing on Wike.
“No, not at all,” he said.
