I completely disagree. The 17-member committee to help select a running mate was set up by Atiku himself. A clear majority of 14 members picked Wike over Okowa and the rest. Are you saying this clear majority of seasoned, active politicians, comprising of governors too, didn’t factor in all the pros and cons before arriving at the decision to select Wike above all? They couldn’t have been wrong. At least from their own political permutations. To be dismissive of this majority choice, and going for Okowa because he disliked Wike was not only indicative of Atiku’s complacency but his emotional intelligence deficit. It throws into question his fabled political sagacity which has never really worked for him as a perennial presidential aspirant since 1992…
When Ronald Reagan picked George H. Bush as his running mate, they weren’t the best of friends. As a matter of fact, it was public knowledge they both disliked each other with certain passion. They both ran in the same Republican presidential primaries whereby Ronald Reagan emerged as the nominee. Yet Reagan knew if he must have a clear decisive victory over Jimmy Carter, he needed to have George H. Bush on board as his running mate. Bush’s base of Eastern Republican supporters was crucial. He couldn’t afford to alienate them. So he reached out to Bush. This is where hard cold political calculations came into play.
It doesn’t have to be a PDP constitutional provision for Wike who came second to be made the VP candidate. It’s a matter of hard cold political calculations. Forget this image his political detractors wanted to paint of Wike as someone wasting Rivers state money to chase his “quixotic” dream of becoming Nigeria’s President. Wike stood for something. His fervent supporters knew this. Have you heard of Governor Ortom describing Wike as having the “charisma and capacity” to take Nigeria from the bottom to the top? That’s the tenor playing with fervency across Gov. Wike’s support base. Yet Atiku has made his choice, and he’d learn to live with his choice.
But the idea of Wike having to humble himself and support Atiku’s presidential candidacy doesn’t even arise. As they all, the politicians, including Atiku, are fighting for their continued political relevance. As it is not a given that Atiku would ever ascend the Aso Rock throne. Atiku another Fulani succeeding a Fulani after eight years is a heavy political baggage. Bringing Wike on board as running mate would have brought some cold comfort, an ameliorating effect on a ticket seen essentially as a continuation of Buhari’s Fulani hegemony with all its attendant implications. The demonstration of firm leadership given so far by Wike is comforting to many in the South. Unarguably the large traction gained by Peter Obi’s movement can in part also be traced to the disaffection many feel towards Atiku/Okowa. So instead of asking Wike to humble himself, Atiku should be plainly told to come down from his high horse, negotiate a truce with Wike, and see the kind of communication strategy they can all work out to make Atiku/Okowa ticket acceptable or appealing in the South.
– Felix Nyerhovwo Jarikre .
