Two years after the 2023 presidential election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has finally broken his silence on why he did not select ex-Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as his running mate.
Spear News recalls that Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), lost the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary to Atiku amid intense political maneuvering.
Despite widespread speculation that Wike would be Atiku’s deputy, the former vice president instead opted for former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—a decision that triggered a lingering rift between the two political heavyweights.
Many within the PDP attribute the ongoing feud between Atiku and Wike to this contentious choice, which reportedly alienated key party stakeholders.
In an upcoming interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, set to air today (Wednesday), Atiku revisits the controversy. He reveals how party leaders previously criticized him for insufficient consultation in 2019, when he chose former Anambra Governor Peter Obi as his running mate—a move that foreshadowed the later discord over Wike’s exclusion.
“They said I did not consult with the party enough. So in 2023, I threw the whole thing to the party. I said, ‘Okay, set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as a running mate”, he said.
Atiku revealed that the selection committee presented him with a shortlist of three candidates, ranking former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the top choice, followed by Nyesom Wike in second place, and ex-Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel as the third option
“So I picked number one,” he said, adding that his decision not to pick Wike was simply because he was the second choice on the list.
However, Atiku, who had run for the presidency a record six times, said he had no regrets about not picking Wike.
“No, not at all,” he said.
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