Fresh facts emerge on why Wike lost VP slot to Okowa

Fresh facts have emerged on the real reason Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State lost the 2023 Vice Presidential slot of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

Okowa yesterday, emerged as the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, following intense horse-trading of party bigwigs that knocked off Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who had been the front runner for the slot for two weeks.

“The person I have chosen as my running mate personifies not only the seriousness the current moment represents for our country but also the future that our young people yearn for and deserve. He is a serving state governor, who has demonstrated, in his state and through his conduct, that governance is about service to the people.

READ ALSO: ATIKU: PDP rejects Wike, forfeits only battleground state it controls

“I know that he will not only add excitement to our already energized ticket and campaign but also help to bring focus, discipline and stability to our government, come 2023.

“He has both legislative and executive experience,” the PDP presidential standard-bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said while unveiling Senator Okowa as his running mate.

Wike was close to being selected but Prestige News gathered that last-minute politicking and some crucial factors swayed Atiku Abubakar to pick Okowa as his running mate.

Although the selection committee set up to assist Atiku to pick a running mate was predominantly and favourably disposed to Wike, the presidential candidate opted for Okowa, who he felt is level-headed and had the right temperament to add value to the ticket.

According to party sources, the candidate has to prove very early enough that he is his own man.

“The decision for Atiku to pick Okowa was made easy by the fact that he was on the list of those short-listed. There were also pressures from powerful interests who cited Wike’s hard stance on issues of taxation, especially concerning the Rivers State court case against the Federal Government, on Value Added Tax, VAT.

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“Because the Vice-President will be in charge of the economy, several people felt it would be too risky to have someone with Wike’s temperament in charge. There is also the issue of legislative liaison. The candidate (Atiku) explained and rightly too that Okowa, who was a senator, is better placed to build synergy between legislators and the executive.”