Atiku opens up on why he didn’t pick Wike as running mate

July 22, 2022 10:30 AM

Atiku says he did not reject Wike.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike. (DailyPost)

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has explained why he did not pick Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as his running mate.

Atiku said this in a chat with Arise TV on Friday, July 22, 2022.

Following the PDP convention in May, the former Vice President picked Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State, against the recommendation of the party’s national working committee (NWC)

The NWC endorsed Wike for the role but Atiku went for Okowa.

Speaking on why he picked Okowa, Atiku said he opted for the Delta governor because he wanted someone that could “deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country”.

“Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party. But you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country.

“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician. He’s courageous, tenacious. I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country. It’s not a question of rejection. Certainly, not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected Governor Wike. Certainly not,” Atiku said.

The presidential election has been scheduled to come up in February 2023.