By our reporter| Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti state, has explained why he believes Nyesom Wike will never support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Fayose, who made the disclosure in an exclusive telephone interview with PT, mentioned power must shift to the southern part of Nigeria in 2023 after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term as one of the reasons.
The outspoken former governor also recounted how Atiku “promised” to make Wike his running mate after he was declared winner of the PDP presidential primary election.
According to Fayose, Atiku failed to fulfill his promise to Wike when he settled for the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.
“Wike never said he wanted to be VP, but when Atiku visited him, he was the one who said, ‘I want you to be my VP’. He said that to Wike. If that then changes, is Wike not supposed to be told? Is he not supposed to know?”
Fayose further recalled that Atiku had ignored the recommendation of a committee set up by PDP to pick his running mate.
“PDP set up a committee to recommend a running mate for the candidate and the committee voted and picked Wike, but they didn’t comply with the recommendation of the committee.”
“If the party is now a one-man show, we will show them that we can resist it. We are with Wike 100 per cent.
“When they need Wike’s money and Wike’s support, they will say, ‘Wike is good enough’. Wike has been injured, but we will remain with him. Whatever he does is what we would do; wherever he asks us to go is where we will go.”
When asked what would happen should Wike ask them to support Atiku, Fayose replied: “Wike will never say we should support Atiku.
“Wike cannot come out to say he is supporting Atiku. I dare him to say so; because he knows that whatever he says will haunt him forever. If Wike supports Atiku, we will abandon him.”
On whether the plan is now to technically support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, or his counterpart in the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Fayose said: “This is not about Bola Tinubu or Obi, but this is about our belief that power must come to the south and it is a struggle we must actualise.
“When the June 12 election was cancelled, the presidency was zoned to the southwest to pacify the southwest region, he further stated.
“When former President Goodluck Jonathan was over staying, it was believed that he was already using the northern slot. So, he was opposed and a northern candidate was installed through the APC.
“This time, it is the turn of the south because Buhari has spent eight years. Why will PDP be insisting that it must again be the turn of the north.”
Fayose also stated that he does not care if his actions are perceived as anti-party activity.
“ What I am saying is, it is the turn of the South, and if they want to expel me, to hell with them. I am not taking money from anyone to belong to this party.
“If they want to rock this boat, we will help them to rock it.”
When contacted by the publication, Contacted Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe said his principal and the party will continue to appeal to aggrieved persons within their fold to embrace dialogue.
“Because the bigger challenge is winning the election, kicking out the APC, and stopping them from the many years of impoverishing our people,” said Ibe.
“It is normal for our people to be aggrieved but the PDP has a way of resolving issues like this and that will be done and we all shall be happy.”
Also reacting to the development on Thursday vice-president Atiku Abubakar in a series of tweets via his verified Twitter handle, said actions are being taken to address the grievances of party members.
Atiku further stated that all party members, including governors “are much loved and respected” by him.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will remain united. Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members,” he tweeted.
“The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.
“Every Governor, Legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me.
“When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced.”
-Wike should have been consulted as 14 out of 17 members of PDP panel preferred him as VP candidate – Ortom
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, one of the aggrieved PDP leaders on Thursday said 14 out of 17 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) panel preferred Nyesom Wike as the vice-presidential candidate of the party.
Ortom, who spoke on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television said the Rivers governor should have been consulted before Okowa was announced as the vice-presidential candidate.
“Of course, three names were presented. In the order of preference, Wike, Okowa, and governor Udom – all of them are qualified. But the preference was Wike – 14 members (referring to the committee) out of 17. This is the point we are making,” Ortom said.
“Three of them were qualified but governor Wike was eminently qualified – 14 out of 17 members chose him. All these things were said during our meeting. We said that for the PDP to win, we needed governor Wike.
“Yes, Wike may have his own weak points as others may see it, but to some people, those were his strong points in this life. For me, the candidate who won the primary has the final say; he has decided. I have no problem with that.
“But I think that moving forward, Wike should have been reached out to and even some of us who are supporting Wike should have been told and convinced that ‘well, for this reason, we are deciding on this’.
“For me, post-nomination of vice-presidential candidate, the activity that followed is what I’m complaining about. Wike should have been reached out to. I should have been reached out to, and many other people who said that it should be Wike.”
The Benue governor added that Abubakar should not have sought consultations if he was going to choose his running mate without considering the recommendations of the panel.
“I think it was the prerogative of the presidential candidate to decide. If he decided just like he did in 2019 by choosing former governor Obi without consultation, and it was accepted, he could have done the same thing,” Ortom said.
“If he had a preferred candidate like Okowa — he is a good man and competent; he has been a senator and governor two terms, and he is my friend; in terms of qualification, Okowa is qualified — that would not have been a problem. He would have been accepted.
“But bringing all of us together, taking me from my state and taking several other governors from their states and bringing all of us to a committee — very responsible stakeholders, BOT, former governors’ forum and national working committee — and asking us to recommend, I think 14 out of 17 is enough to take a decision for anyone, whether you are a candidate or not.”
With additional reports from PT & Channels Television
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