Atiku Lied, Never Visited Me, Says Wike

By Uche Mbah

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has accused the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of insincerity and peddling lies about his position in the party.

Wike who spoke at the Port Harcourt International Airport, particularly took exception to Atiku’s statement in an Arise interview on July 22, 2022.

“(Atiku) appeared before Arise Television, see the statements he made. So many lies were told”, Wike said, referring to Atiku’s statement that he chose who he can work with amicably, thereby insinuating he cannot work with Wike.

Atiku: “Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party. But you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country,” Atiku had said at the interview.

Wike also debunked the news that Atiku visited him for discussions recently, widely reported on social media.

“What happened to investigative Journalism?”, he queried , saying that all he has been receiving were phone calls urging him to work with Atiku.

“Atiku has been to my house before. Does he not know the way to my house again ?”, he queried, saying that at the right time he will reply to all “their lies”.

But Atiku had praised Wike in the controversial interview, calling him a courageous and brilliant politician “who has a future in Nigerian politics.”

“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician. He’s courageous, tenacious, I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country. It’s not a question of rejection. Certainly, not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected governor Wike. Certainly not.”