Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has debunked the reports that he rejected Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for the latter’s Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.
Atiku described as untrue the statement by the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, that he jettisoned the recommendation of the PDP committee on the selection of the party’s vice presidential candidate.
The former Vice President said he chose Okowa because he felt the governor could deliver for the party in 2023.
He made this known in an exclusive interview with Arise TV on Friday.
Atiku, who described Okowa as “a very intelligent and calm” politician, said the governor has acquired a lot of experience starting from local government to Senate and becoming a governor.
The PDP presidential candidate said: “I didn’t reject Wike, I picked who can deliver. Wike is brilliant and tenacious.
”Going by history, I picked an Igbo as running mate in 2007, in 2019. I still picked an Igbo as running mate for 2023.
“There was no voting. I can give you the copy of the report of the committee. The committee that presented the three nominees was chaired by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. They recommended three people, so I picked one.
“It is my prerogative to choose who I think is the best for me to work with as my VP. And I have consistently been picking Igbo to unify the country.
“People should be fair to me and state the facts. What Ortom said to the public was inaccurate,” he stated.
Atiku added that PDP did not agree to microzone its presidential candidacy to any geopolitical zone, stressing that the main opposition party would soon resolve its internals crisis.
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