2023: PDP Committee considers Wike as Atiku’s running mate
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has emerged as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Wike, it was learnt, was the preferred choice of most members of the party’s committee set up to produce a running mate for Atiku Abubakar.
The choice, it was learnt, was between him and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
A source at the party’s headquarters said members of the panel, in a meeting on Tuesday, cast votes to decide a running mate and in the end, Governor Wike polled 16 votes to defeat his Delta State counterpart, who scored three votes.
The panel, comprising former and serving governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee and members of the Board of Trustees, was established last week.
The party is expected to make an official announcement of the Rivers State governor as the running mate.
His “victory” comes hours after the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said the panel will choose a running mate in 48 hours.
Although Governor Wike, a presidential aspirant, had initially said he did not want to be vice president, it is unclear whether he now wants the position.
Earlier, it was learnt that members of the governor’s team were putting pressure on the committee and the party to pick him as running mate – as a way of compensating him for his defeat at the presidential primary in May.
Present at the meeting were the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and former Senate President, David Mark.
Others were former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko; former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, and Senator Philip Aduda, among others.
It would be recalled that Atiku Abubakar won the PDP presidential primaries, after Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State withdrew from the race.
Political parties have been asked by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to submit names of their presidential candidates and their running mates by Friday, June 17.
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