Why I picked Okowa over Wike as my running mate – Atiku opens up

"Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party. But you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country,” Atiku said.

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJuly 22, 2022

3 minutes read

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has finally given the reason for picking Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate over the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Atiku Abubakar who is also the former Vice President said he did not pick Mr Wike as his running mate because he wanted someone he could work with “amicably”.

Atiku spoke in a chat with Arise TV on Friday morning monitored by Newsflash Nigeria, said he chose who he felt could deliver among the nominees that were presented to him.

The former Vice President said he opted for Okowa instead of Wike because he wanted someone that could “deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country”.

Newsflash Nigeria reports that the PDP candidate had picked Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election, despite the party’s national working committee (NWC) endorsing Wike for the role.

Atiku said Okowa had the qualities to be a President, adding that he “is a President-in-waiting.”

He said, “In arriving at the decision, I held wide consultations with various stakeholders in our party including our governors, the national working committee, board of trustees, and other leaders to seek their inputs and their wisdom.”

“In these consultations, I made clear that my running mate would have the potential to succeed me at a moment’s notice, that is, a president-in-waiting.

“In other words, the person must have the qualities to be President. The person must have an appreciation of the deep rot which our country has been put into by the rudderless All Progressives Congress government; understands the great suffering that most of our people are going through and the urgency of relieving them of that suffering; understands the critical importance of economic growth and development to provide our young people with jobs, hope, and a pathway to wealth.”

Ortom, Wike, Makinde, Others Take Decision On Defection

But speaking in an exclusive interview with Arise TV which was aired Friday morning, Atiku said he chose who he felt could deliver among the nominees that were presented to him.

He added that Wike was not rejected and that he only picked who could deliver.

“Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party. But you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country,” Atiku said.

“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician. He’s courageous and tenacious. I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country. It’s not a question of rejection. Certainly, not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected Governor Wike. Certainly not.

“Going by history, I had picked an Igbo as running mate in 2007, in 2019. I still picked an Igbo for 2023.

“The committee that presented the three nominees was chaired by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. They recommended three people, so I picked one. People should be fair to me and state the facts.”

Speaking on resolving issues with Wike, Atiku said the party was talking to Wike.

“We are reaching out to Wike and talking to him, very soon, we will resolve our internal crises.”

“I have contested this presidency a couple of times and I don’t try to blame anybody, I accept the outcome or go to court,” Atiku said.

Atiku also noted that he was driven by a passion to serve the country. “I’m driven by passion and desire to give back to this country, I’m driven by the passion to give back to this country because of what the country has done for me.

“With what I have been able to accomplish at my age, I don’t desire any other thing other than the passion to serve my country.

Speaking on zoning, Atiku said the PDP had never agreed to zone presidency to the South, noting that there was no concession like that. “We never zoned to any part of the country,” he said.