Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his allies, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, on Friday, travelled to London, United Kingdom (UK).
It was also gathered that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state will join his colleagues in the UK capital in the coming hours.
While the reason for the travel remains sketchy as of press time, it is believed to be in continuation of another round of meetings and horse trading.
Confirming the governors’ travel, a source revealed, “Governors Wike, Ikpeazu and Ortom have flown to the United Kingdom for another round of meetings and horse-trading for the 2023 elections.
“They left on Friday and they are scheduled to hold another round of meetings with key stakeholders.”
It would be recalled that Wike had been engaging in series meetings across various political divides outside of the shores of the country.
Wike had held meeting with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
The Governor who spoke shortly after arriving in Nigeria weeks back said the meeting was aimed at making decision that will better Nigeria and Nigerians.
Wike said the meetings with the presidential candidates “is in the interest of Nigeria”.
“For whatever it’s worth, consultation is ongoing. Whatever we are talking about, is in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to one person or group of persons. We believe that with what is going on, it will be in the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day,” he said.
“Consultation is still ongoing. Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this country. Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody.
“It’s unfortunate that we are in a country now where a man finishes eight years as a governor and brings his own son as a governor too and as a member of the national assembly.
“It is only in this part of the world that you can see that when we are talking about poverty everywhere. These are people who do not mean well to this Nigeria.
“The only identity they have in this country is religion and ethnicity, nothing more. It’s either, I’m a Christian or I’m a Muslim, I’m a Fulani or I’m an Igbo. Nigeria cannot move forward except they think it will be them. That’s where we are,” Wike had said.
With another series of meeting upcoming, Wike and his allies are expected to make a political statement on who to support in the forthcoming 2023 General elections as the deepening crisis roiling the main opposition’s PDP rages on.
