Omokri Tackles Wike, Says The Governor Lied Over Obasanjo, Atiku 2023 Incident

By Adesina Soyooye

A social critique and political commentator, Reno Omokri, has said that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is misinformed on his narration of how President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2003, knelt down for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to plead with him  to allow him, Obasanjo, get a second term in office.

In 2003, Atiku was Obasanjo’s Vice President.

The story has often been told that Obasanjo, in 2003, sneaked into Atiku’s bedroom, at an uncivilized time of the night, as PDP’s Presidential Primary delegates, gathered in Abuja to choose a candidate, knelt down and begged Atiku, to support him, and not run against him.

The rumours were strong then that majority of PDP’s Governors and stakeholders  were rooting for Atiku, and urged him to run against his boss, President Obasanjo.

This humiliating story has always been generally ignored, especially, as neither Obasanjo nor Atiku commented on it. Their close aides and political associates ignored it too.

But the PDP poisonous politics of 2023, has thrown the story up again, and given it a new life. Wike reopened it.

Speaking on Friday in Porthacourt at the flag off of a new road, Wike told the story of the humiliation of Obasanjo by Atiku again.

Wike has been at loggerheads with the PDP National Leadership and Atiku since he lost the Presidential ticket to Atiku, and also lost the slot of the Vice Presidential candidate to his Delta State counterpart, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.

Wike, who is the leader of four other Governors, distanced the five of them – G5 – and a few other stakeholders from PDP activities, including the Presidential Campaign, unless the National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, steps down from office.

Wike’s Group insists that it is a breach of the Party’s Constitution for both the National Chairman and the Candidate to come from the same region – North.

While trying to explain that the condition the G5 gave Atiku is mild, compared to the conditions Atiku gave Obasanjo, a sitting President then, in 2003, before he could support Obasanjo, Wike told the story again.

He said: “In 2003, when President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to run for a second tenure – a whole President wanted to run for a second – he knelt down before his Vice, and said, ‘my Vice, please, allow me to run.’

“You know one of the conditions he (Atiku) gave him? That Tony Anenih must be sacked as the Minister for Works, and Tony Anenih must not be in the Presidential Campaign Council.

“Obasanjo obliged and sacked Tony Anenih as the Minister for Works, and removed him from the Presidential Campaign Council. This is a President, (and) his own his own Vice giving him condition. A retired General knelt down and was given conditions.

“We (G-5) are not even doing  that, we are not saying sack this one, we are only saying that the constitution of our Party must be respected, based on what the National Chairman said, and what you (Atiku) told me in my house.”

But quickly realizing the damage Wike’s narration could have on Atiku’s Presidential chances, especially, in the South-west, Omokri, who is a staunch PDP member, and one of the Spokespersons  of the Party’s PDP, debunked Wike’s story.

In a post, he dismissed the story, as told by Wike on Friday, 30th December, 2022, as a lie. He said Wike is misinformed.

Said Omokri: “Wike is sadly misinformed. President Obasanjo did not, at anytime kneel before then Vice President Atiku.

“Atiku never requested that from his boss. Chief Obasanjo is alive. The Media may want to seek his insight into these claims by Wike. Wike can do better.”