Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has acknowledged that Nyesom Wike’s actions as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) demonstrated why he was not selected as the 2023 vice presidential candidate.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Atiku’s media office emphasized in a statement issued on Saturday that leadership is about more than votes. Wike’s camp released a press statement through his aide, Lere Olayinka, to which the former vice president’s camp was reacting. We are aware that resentment frequently results in unwarranted hostility. The statement added, “But we remind Mr. Wike and his team that a bitter heart cannot bring truth, healing, or unity.”
It charged Wike’s team with falsifying information, especially in relation to the vice presidential candidate selection procedure. It pointed out that Ifeanyi Okowa only had two votes from the committee that was formed to suggest a running partner, although Wike, through his spokesperson, claimed to have thirteen. “There are no strict rules on how a running mate is selected,” Atiku’s media office said. Consultations, committees, and proposals are merely suggestions. The presidential candidate alone has the last say in the matter.
The statement went on to say that Wike’s character rendered him unfit for the position, regardless of how many votes he received. “Leadership is more than just statistics. It is about character, self-respect, and the capacity to bring people together. Even if someone has the most votes, it won’t matter if they lack humility and grace. The statement went on to say, “Mr. Wike’s public behavior in Abuja since becoming the FCT Minister and in Rivers state, where he previously served as governor, has vindicated us and made it plain why he was unfit to serve as vice president on a ticket that was intended to bring people together rather than drive them apart.
Additionally, we ask Mr. Wike and his social media representative to avoid escalating the conflict by preaching about religious virtue during Ramadan and Lent. Let’s avoid using holy times as a platform for trivial political insults. Rebuilding our party and our country is a major undertaking. It’s time to put aside wounded pride and concentrate on what really counts: Nigeria’s future and the welfare of its citizens! Wike’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Olayinka, had already refuted Atiku’s assertion that Okowa was selected after party consultations.
In an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie on Untold Stories, Atiku stated that Wike was not the party’s top choice and that he had let them advise him on choosing a running mate. Wike was favored as the top pick, according to a report published by Olayinka titled Report of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of Presidential Running Mate. Even throughout Ramadan, Olayinka said that Atiku was lying. He questioned, “How can a committee choose someone with two votes over someone with thirteen?” For reasons that only he knows, Atiku selected Okowa, but the PDP committee selected Wike. He should own up to his choice rather than distorting the facts.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
