The Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has initiated moves to zone the 2023 Presidential Ticket of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the South.
Wike has moved all out to ensure that frontline contender and former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and ex-senate President, Bukola Saraki do not clinch the prized ticket.
The fiery rivers governor who is rumoured to be the Sole Financier of the party has already tabled his machinations to the party’s Governors. Meanwhile, two sitting governors who are members of the party are also interested in the PDP presidential ticket. They are Governors of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Bauchi, Bala Mohammed.
Also interested in the ticket are former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State. Wike played a key role in the emergence of Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after sacking the Uche Secondus-led executive.
The governors, the most influential power bloc, under the umbrella of the PDP Governors’ Forum, ensured the emergence of their candidates. Through the scheming and machinations of the 13 governors of the party, 18 out of the 21 positions were filled through consensus. With this, pundits said the governors have taken over the soul of the main opposition party ahead of the 2023 politicking.
The 13 governors are; Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Bala Muhammed (Bauchi), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
According to Daily Trust, Last Monday, Wike hosted the PDP governors at the Government House, Port Harcourt as part of what watchers of the political space said was a continuation of their efforts to shape the 2023 politicking. The Port Harcourt meeting came after Wike’s recent visits to Bauchi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Abia, Enugu, Oyo, and Bayelsa States.
The Governor has recruited five of his colleagues into the project. POLITICS NIGERIA learned that they are namely the Governors of Benue, Enugu, Oyo, Abia and Adamawa.
“In his camp now, he has five governors. Nobody can challenge him now because he has been funding the party. Who has total control of the NWC of our party? It’s Wike,”.
“I want to be frank with you, nobody is talking about Atiku now because the governors said they don’t want him because he is above 70. They want someone who can relate well with them and has the energy to withstand the challenges bedeviling the country,” the source revealed.
PDP 2023, Senator Pius Anyim (presidential ticket) and Senator Bukola Saraki(vice president ticket), would walk PDP to success. Both are of age bracket, former senators at high position, well educated and moderates.