As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s crisis deepens, a former presidential aspirant on the party’s platform and governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has reportedly met with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Paris, France.
Special Assistant to Lagos state Governor on Sewage and Drainage, Joe Igbokwe, revealed this Thursday on his Facebook account.
He said the PDP presidential aspirant met with Tinubu while some people were abusing themselves on the social media.
A statement by Tinubu’s media office had said the former Lagos state governor would hold some important political meetings while in Paris.
Tinubu departed Nigeria Monday shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House Abuja.
Also, Governor Wike had Tuesday said he was currently on vacation in Turkey.
Igbokwe, who hinted at a possible meeting, further stated that people have transferred their aggression to Tinubu.
The APC chieftain in a post on his Facebook account wrote: “While they are on Social Media abusing everybody Gov Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate and bigotry are no strategies. They hated and abused PMB since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see.”
Wike has remained silent since losing out in the power play that led to the emergence of the vice-presidential ticket of the PDP which led to the emergence of Delta state Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Some PDP governors, including Samuel Ortom of Benie state, were absent at the inauguration of the Osun state PDP campaign council.
In fact, Ortom was reported to have said Wike deserved to be picked as running mate to the PDP presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Governor Okowa emerged Atiku’s running mate after a committee had recommended Wike.
The development is coming in the wake of Tinubu’s statement on Sunday that he was still searching for his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
North-west APC seeks running mate
Meanwhile, the race for Tinubu’s running mate continues with the Northwest zonal leaders of the APC expressing their readiness to engage Tinubu over the position.
The zone, however, boasted that it is the highest political region with votes for the ruling party in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
North-west region comprises of Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa and Kastina states.
In a communique released after its consultative meeting Thursday in Abuja and signed by APC zonal chairman (North-west) Salihu Moh Lukman, the party said APC governors, governorship candidates and ministers from the states of the zone were in attendance.
“The meeting welcomed the initiative to commence this consultative meeting as vital for strengthening the APC in the North-West and improve leadership engagements and cohesion within the zone.
“Participants received the zonal report from the National Vice Chairman (North-West) and reviewed the state of the party at the national level and within the zone. The zonal meeting welcomed the successful conclusion of primaries at the state and national levels. Participants acknowledged the challenges facing some state chapters of the party and resolved to promote efforts at reconciliation as an urgent priority.
“The meeting noted the contribution of the North-West to the emergence and growth of the APC and its electoral viability, with the North-West providing about 39% of the votes the APC recorded in the 2019 and 2015 presidential elections. Therefore, the zone resolved to aggregate its interests and vital concerns and engage accordingly with the presidential candidate of the party,” they said.
The statement, however, said the participants requested the zonal chairman to ensure stakeholders of the zone meet regularly.
“Participants requested the National Vice-Chairman (North-West) to ensure that the consultative meeting is sustained as a vital tool for cohesion within the party.”
