2023 Election: PDP can defeat APC without Wike, Atiku tells party’s BoT

The dust over the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the choice of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has not settled.

Although Atiku and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike met yesterday in Abuja at the instance of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Walid Jibrin, a source said it did not lead to a truce.

The meeting was hosted by former Information and Culture Minister Prof. Jerry Gana at his residence.

At a meeting with BoT members on Wednesday, Atiku boasted that PDP can win next year’s election without many votes from Rivers State.

He said there was no cause for alarm if Wike did not want to fall in line with him.

Exuding confidence, Atiku recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, who did not win Rivers State, relied on votes from Lagos, Kano and other strategic states to win the 2019 presidential poll.

He also said PDP ran into crisis because Wike allegedly monetised the presidential primary.

Wike, who was privy to what transpired at the BOT meeting, was said to have complained about Atiku’s recent comment about him.

A source said: “Wike joined issues with Atiku over his recent comments or pronouncements at the second meeting.

“He asked Atiku some questions:

• ”Did I tell you I want to be the next Minister of Petroleum Resources?
• ”Have I not been a minister before?
• ”Do you control Lagos and Kano, like President Muhammadu Buhari, if you don’t need Rivers?
• ”Have I asked for anything to support you?”

Atiku responded with “no” to most of the questions.

“Throughout the meeting, Wike was busy with posers to clear some impressions from Atiku’s camp in public space. Obviously, he was uncomfortable with some comments attributed to Atiku and some of his strategists.

“But the presidential candidate of the PDP was calm in managing the situation.”

Sources said Atiku and Wike had been engaged in a hide and seek game over a session with the BoT.

However, BoT members have consistently pleaded with Atiku to reconcile with the Rivers governor.

Although the two leaders got invitation letters from the board, none of them was interested in a face-to-face meeting before yesterday.

Atiku and Wike had resorted to bitter verbal exchanges and name-calling in the media in the past few weeks.

Their loyalists had also picked the gauntlet, with the two camps launching media attacks against each other, leading to a gradual alienation of Wike and his loyalists by the PDP leadership.