As political manoeuvring climax, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State will run on a joint ticket with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 Presidential election.
This is coming as the All Progressives Party presidential candidate, Ahmed Tinubu may have narrowed down on Senator Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State- which will mean a Muslim-muslim ticket for the ruling party.
In the meantime, Newssphere gathered that the National Advisory Committee that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) set up to look into the report of an earlier committee has recommended the Rivers governor.
An inside source said the committee saddled with the task of picking the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate has agreed to allow Wike, who came second in the primaries, to run with Atiku.
“Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike has been chosen by the committee. He was overwhelmingly voted for by the committee. Majority of the members see him as the ideal person to be the running mate to Atiku.
“You saw his showing at the primaries. The party leaders believe in his capacity and they have chosen him.”
The committee was said to have voted on the three names recommended by the General Aliyu Gusau committee with the Rivers Governor pulling sixteen votes.
The three names the source said were Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).
Those at the meeting which was chaired by the Deputy National Chairman, North, Ambassador Umaru Damagun, were Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed June 17, as the deadline for the submission of candidates for the presidential positions.