2023: PDP can win without Wike, Atiku tells party’s BoT

The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abuabakar has reportedly boasted that the party can win the 2023 presidential election without the support of the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.

The former vice president was said to have made the comment at a meeting with the Board of Trustees of the party in Abuja on Wednesday.

The PDP flagbearer was responding to the dust raised by the Rivers governor over his alleged comments while he was unveiling his running mate and governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Mr Wike had accused the PDP flagbearer of lying and betrayer while addressing newsmen shortly after he returned to Port Harcourt.

Although Atiku and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike met yesterday in Abuja at the instance of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Walid Jibrin, a source said it did not lead to a truce.

The meeting was hosted by former Information and Culture Minister Prof. Jerry Gana at his residence.

At a meeting with BoT members on Wednesday, Atiku boasted that PDP can win next year’s election without many votes from Rivers State.

He said there was no cause for alarm if Wike did not want to fall in line with him.

Exuding confidence, Atiku recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, who did not win Rivers State, relied on votes from Lagos, Kano and other strategic states to win the 2019 presidential poll.

He also said PDP ran into crisis because Wike allegedly monetised the presidential primary.

Wike, who was privy to what transpired at the BOT meeting, was said to have complained about Atiku’s recent comment about him.