2019: Atiku, Tambuwal deepen overtures to Wike

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has intensified horse trading for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with repeated visits to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. After the controversies that trailed the endorsement of Port Harcourt, Rivers State for the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku was in Port Harcourt to renew appeals for the support of Rivers delegates who would be led by the Governor to the Convention.

Also, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State was also in Port Harcourt to firm up arrangements with Governor Wike who is believed to be supporting Tambuwal for the PDP presidential ticket.

However, the visit of the two presidential aspirants from the North leaves hazy political calculus in the PDP. At the time of intra-party consultations, Governor Tambuwal had visited former vice President Atiku while the Oresident of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Apparently, Tambuwal was construed to be developing closer ties with Atiku even though he is in the race also.

The recent visits of the two presidential aspirants which followed in sequence, has been generating fresh skepticism of possible bargaining for possible joining of forces for the October 6 PDP National Convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections.

The developments are unfolding at a time Senate President Saraki is consolidating in the race and becoming a force to reckon with in the contest for the presidential ticket of the PDP for 2019.