Details of how Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was tapped as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has emerged, barring any last-minute changes, The New Diplomat has learnt.
Wike’s choice was arrived at by a committee consisting of former and serving governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee and members of the Board of Trustees, which was constituted last week.
The Rivers Governor defeated Ifeanyi Okowa, the Delta State Governor to emerge as the choice of the party. Wike polled 16 votes to defeat Okowa who scored only three votes, according to party source at the meeting.
The source at the party’s headquarters said members of the panel, in a meeting on Tuesday, cast votes to decide a running mate.
Recall Atiku’s choice of a running mate had earlier been narrowed to three names: Wike, Okowa and Emmanuel Udom, the Akwa Ibom State Governor.
Wike, the panel argued will strengthen the candidacy of Atiku. They based their argument on how he had earlier placed second at the party’s presidential primary and had posited that had Aminu Tambuwal, the Sokoto State governor not withdrawn from the race, he might have pipped Atiku to the ticket.
The choice of Okowa was said to have been rejected by all the South-South Governors except Bayelsa Governor Duoye Diri. Also, the Southeast Governors and stakeholders have been reportedly rooting for Wike as many of the party’s top brats pointed to the just concluded primaries in Delta which had triggered a deluge of controversies for the PDP in the state under Okowa’s leadership.
The party is expected to make an official announcement of the Rivers State governor as the running mate.
It would be recalled that the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said the panel will announce Atiku’s running mate in 48 hours.
It would be recalled also that the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had mandated political parties to submit the names of their presidential candidates and their running mates by Friday, June 17.
