Wike reminds Atiku how he rejected appeals to support Jonathan in 2014

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday revealed the reason for his anger against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State at the commissioning of the Akpabu-Itu-Umudiogha road in Emohua Local Government Area, recalling that rejected pleas by former President Goodluck Jonathan to support his re-election in 2015.

Wike narrated that former President Jonathan travelled to the Dorchester Hotel, London, United Kingdom (UK), in 2015 to meet Atiku and appealed for his support, but that Atiku “embarrassed” Jonathan and told him to surrender his ticket to him.

Wike said that he is not asking Atiku to step down as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, but he should ensure the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as PDP national chairman for a southern replacement.

Governor Wike had declared: “We forget history. In 2015 when Jonathan as a sitting President, I am not talking as a presidential candidate but as a sitting President, when he had won his primary, Jonathan went to London to Dorchester Hotel, he went to plead with Atiku Abubakar to come back to the party and support him.

“You know the condition he gave Jonathan? He should relinquish his ticket not to run as the President of Nigeria. That was the presidential candidate of a ruling party. He gave him a condition, telling him to relinquish that ticket.

“Today, we are not saying the presidential candidate should relinquish his ticket; we are not being selfish, we are saying since you are now the presidential candidate, let our people take chairmanship.”