In what has virtually turned out a political pilgrimage to Port Harcourt, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, has been receiving high-calibre politicians in the build up to the crucial 2023 general elections.
On Wednesday alone, the audacious politician, who gave a former Vice-president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a run for his money at the party’s presidential primary election, received in audience the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi.
Coming closely on the heels of Obi’s visit was the visit by the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, who also participated in the party’s presidential primary poll but was trounced by Wike.
THE CONCLAVE learnt that the meeting between Wike and Obi centred on the way forward for Nigeria, especially on strategic collaborations that could produce a Southern presidency in 2023.
Wike is a strong advocate of presidency rotating to the South of the country in 2023 after eight years of Northern presidency which is still being custodied by President Muhammadu Buhari.
While Wike had been assured through his strategic moves that he would upset Atiku and emerge as the party’s candidate, Obi had on his part resigned from the party over which structure he had no control to stake his presidential bid on the platform of the Labour Party.
Obi had resigned and withdrawn from the PDP primary poll so as to not run foul of the provisions of the extant laws.
The closed-door meeting between Wike and Obi at the Government House in Port Harcourt, as learnt, dwelled on the issue of southern presidency within the context of the overarching national interest.
A source close to the development in Port Harcourt told THE CONCLAVE that the visit by Governor Bala Mohammed was more of solidarising with Governor Wike.
The series of meetings, THE CONCLAVE reports, are expected to culminate in significant resolutions that will be salutary to the outcome of the 2023 General Elections, particularly the presidential poll.
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