Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar on Friday revealed reasons why he didn’t pick Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as his running mate.
Speaking to Arise TV, Atiku said did not pick Wike because he wanted someone he could work with “amicably”.
Governor Wike came second in the PDP primaries that produced Atiku as flagbearer.
Atiku picked Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
This triggered outrage in the ranks of the opposition party.
Atiku said he opted for Dr Okowa instead of Wike because he wanted someone that could “deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country.”
He said, “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,” Atiku said.
“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.”
