How Wike Frustrated Igbo Presidency – Atiku Campaign Team Reveals

Atiku Campaign Organisation, has unveiled how Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State worked and deliberately frustrated the moves by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to micro-zone its presidential ticket to the Southeast geo-political zone.

Spokesman of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Dr. Daniel Bwala, who stated this on Friday when he featured on Channels Television program, ‘Politics Today’, said that Wike had virtually everything he wanted with regards to the whole gamut of power sharing here and there.

Bwala, who spoke shortly after Governor Wike briefed the press where he opened up on the crisis rocking the PDP since its presidential primary election in May in which he lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, explained that the whole gamut of power zoning here or there started with Governor Wike.

In the words of Bwala; “Wike virtually had everything he wanted. He brought this chairman (Ayu). When a discussion was being done in the party that power should be zoned.

“I recall very well, Atiku was inclined that it should be zoned to either Southeast or Northeast. These are the two geo-political zones that have not benefited of held the office of the President.

“Then, he (Wike) said if it was ever zoned to the Southeast, he was not going to run. The movement then was that it should be micro-zoned to the Southeast among stakeholders from the region.

“He (Wike) frustrated it because he was interested in contesting for the presidency”.

Bwala further said that the move led to the departure of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi from the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Campaign spokesman also said that Wike equally influenced the emergence of leaders that sat in committees, be it committees for party positions or elective office.

According to Bwala; “At his behest, a recommendation was made that it should be thrown open evidently because he is not from the Southeast. That led to the departure of Peter Obi.

“If the zoning thing was followed, Peter Obi or probably the former SGF (Ayim Pius) would have emerged as the presidential candidate of the party,” he said.

Bwala however, said that in spite of the internal wrangling within the PDP, Atiku’s quest to unify Nigeria won’t change when and if elected as president.

In the words of Bwala; “The last politician I can look at and say he is discriminatory is Atiku Abubakar”.