2023: Wike, Fayose Shun Atiku’s Meeting With Ex-PDP Presidential Aspirants

Some prominent personalities were conspicuously missing during a meeting on Wednesday between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and ex-presidential aspirants of the party.

Naija News gathered Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose were both missing at the meeting held at the Abuja residence of Atiku.

Both PDP chieftains are part of those who contested and lost the 2023 presidential primaries of the PDP and have openly disagreed with the emergence of Atiku as the PDP candidate.

However, media mogul, Dele Momodu, former managing director of the now-defunct FSB International Bank; Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, the only female aspirant, Tariela Oliver, and Charles Ugwu all attended the meeting according to The Cable.

Atiku won the PDP presidential primary held in May, polling 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Wike who secured 237 votes.

However, Atiku’s win and the subsequent decision to choose Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate has plunged the party into a crisis.

Despite repeated efforts by the PDP leadership to resolve the crisis ahead of the 2023 elections, the disagreements remain pending and will negatively affect the party’s fortunes in the forthcoming election if left unresolved.

Wike: PDP Governors Reportedly Dump Atiku

Meanwhile, information has emerged that some Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have allegedly reached a deal to work against the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Instead of working for Atiku, the Governors reportedly reached a deal to secretly support the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu without defecting from the PDP.

Naija News understands the Governors fingered in the development are loyalists of their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike who has been at loggerheads with Atiku over the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election and the subsequent emergence of Ifeanyi Okowa as the vice presidential candidate.

A source quoted by Vanguard says the Governors; Nyesom Wike (Rivers) Samuel Ortom (Benue) Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu(Abia) Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) all reached the agreement during their recent meeting in London.