Nyesom Wike weighs option, holds secret meeting with Tinubu

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state is said to be having a meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in France with the aim of weighing his options on whom to support in the 2023 presidential election.

The opposition party has been embroiled in crisis since the conclusion of its presidential primary election in May. Wike had contested the presidential ticket, but he lost to the former vice-president.

The cracks widened after Atiku Abubakar named Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

According to a reliable source, Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue; Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and other PDP stalwarts loyal to Wike are also attending the meeting with Tinubu.

The source reveals that Wike and his supporters are horse-trading in the meeting to make a decision whether to back the APC candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

They are also reportedly scheduled to meet with Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“This meeting is a confirmation that the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, even before the 2022 presidential primaries of the PDP, has been working underground for the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu,” the sources said.

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“This move is a clear indication that the Governor Wike-led group has been deceiving the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in fruitless reconciliation meetings, but has already decided to play the ‘spoiler game’ by destroying the party from within, frustrate the chances of the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar or when the push comes to shove, move en mass to the APC or Labour Party when the PDP least expected.

“It is important to note here that, part of Governor Wike’s plan ahead of the 2023 general elections, is to use the former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko and other surrogates in Katsina, Kebbi, Cross River, Kano and other states to destabilise the campaigns of the PDP, especially the chances of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”

Atiku has been making efforts to reconcile with Wike but there has been little progress thus far. Last week, a three-member delegation he constituted met with Wike’s team in Rivers.

The Rivers governor is reportedly demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, as a precondition for peace talks.