The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, vowed that he would guarantee the failure of former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in his next attempt to secure the presidency.
Through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike expressed that he harbors no remorse over Atiku’s decision not to select him as his running mate in the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election.
The discord between Atiku and Wike traces back to the contentious PDP primaries of 2022, where Wike had anticipated being rewarded with the vice-presidential position, only for Atiku to choose former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa instead.
In a recent interview with Adesina Giwa-Osagie, Atiku remarked that he had “no regrets” for overlooking Wike as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
Explaining his preference for Okowa over Wike, Atiku clarified that he intentionally deferred the choice to the PDP.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate, so in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names,” Atiku said.
Atiku revealed that the committee placed Okowa at the top of the list, followed by Wike in second place and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel in third.
“So I picked number one,” he said.
In response, Olayinka stated that Wike feels no sorrow for losing the position to Okowa.
Posting on X, Olayinka wrote: “Two years after making the @OfficialPDPNig lose a presidential election it could have won, @atiku is giving reasons he did not pick @GovWike as his running mate and that he has no regrets.
“Someone should tell our serial presidential election contester that Wike also has no regret for ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli