Wike Mocks Atiku Over Obasanjo’s Snub

Governor Nyesom Wike has mocked PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over the snub given him by President Olusegun Obasanjo calling on him not to turn that frustration into rewriting history over the way he took the ticket meant for the South.

The Rivers State governor spoke as he firmly rebuffed claims that he, Wike and Governor Samuel Ortom frustrated the micro-zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the Southeast.

Wike who spoke while flagging off construction work of the Akpabu- Odido Road in Emohua Local Government Area on Monday said that Atiku’s bid to frustrate zoning of the presidency to the South was what made him to dash for the PDP presidential nomination form even while the report of the PDP zoning committee was still not out.

GWG.ng reports that Wike’s account followed narratives by the Atiku camp that Wike frustrated the micro-zoning of the PDP ticket to the Southeast for the purpose of bidding for the ticket.

Reacting on Monday, Wike said:

“I was one of those who led the campaign that the party’s chairmanship should go to the North because I believed the presidency should go to the South.

“I attended meetings of southern governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties from Delta to Lagos to Enugu states, where we agreed that presidency should come to the south.”

Governor Wike insisted that while southern cross-party consultations were going on, there were people in the PDP who were bent on frustrating the eventual zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South.

Such people, he maintained, cannot now turn around to cast the blame on him and Governor Ortom to hide their scheme thinking they could deceive Nigerians.

“I woke up this morning and read where they said, how Wike and Ortom frustrated PDP’s micro-zoning of presidential ticket to South East. That was what the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku said.

“I keep on saying, they’ll be contradicting themselves, telling lies up and down, thinking that Nigerians don’t know. How can they say that I influenced Ortom, told him to allow and throw the ticket open?

Governor Wike said further, “Nigerians know those who are opposed to zoning of the party’s chairmanship first.

“And when the zoning committee was set up, this time, Atiku had gone to buy form to frustrate the recommendation of the zoning committee.

 “So that when they have bought form, they could say, oh, there is no need of zoning, will you tell people to withdraw?”

Governor Wike said it is rather note worthy that their gimmick is now hunting them because they were unfair to Nigerians.

“Yes, you don’t like Ortom, no problems. I know my own, you don’t like me, no problems. But I, my state gave you the highest support in 2019 both with logistics and by votes.

“You can’t deceive every Nigerians again. What I have stood for is equity, fairness and justice.

“So, saying that I and Ortom frustrated PDP micro-zoning to South East is nether here nor there. They know that they don’t want presidency to come to the South.”

The Rivers State governor urged the presidential candidate of the PDP to leave him out of the attendant challenges he is facing in the party.

Noting the rejection of Atiku by President Obasanjo who on New Year Day endorsed Mr Peter Obi of Labour Party, Wike, stated that a bad product is always difficult to sell, otherwise, the former president would have recommended the PDP candidate to Nigerians having worked together with him.

Governor Wike insisted that if former president Obasanjo had refused to recommend Alhaji Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong.

He opined that Alhaji Atiku should be more concerned about that loss of confidence from his former boss, and his coming election.

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG