By Charles Igbo

The apex Igbo Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has denied threatening not to vote for the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2023 Presidential  election.

A statement attributed to Ohanaeze, signed by one Mr Ishiguzoro, a few days ago, had said that Ndigbo will not vote for Atiku in protest against his emergence as the PDP Presidential candidate instead of an Igbo.

But the officially recognised Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which President is Professor George Obiozor, has denied issuing any such statement, describing it as fake meant to deceive the public.

In the statement signed by its spokesperson, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo  denied the statement. It also dismissed those who issued it  as “mischief makers, impostors, charlatans and unscrupulous social climbers”.

Regretting that such statement came out at all, the statement continued:

“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor has not issued any press statement on the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“Ohanaeze awaits with keen interest, the full outcome of the ongoing primaries by all the political parties before it can issue a press release with respect to the Igbo position on the 2023 general election.”

The Ohanaeze spokesperson asked the public to ignore any statement which did not emanate  from the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Okey Emuchay.

By Adesina Soyooye

In his first reaction to his loss of the Presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has exonerated the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, from his loss.

He put the blame on Southern Political leaders, especially those from the South-south who betrayed him. “Some Governors from the South were used to sabotage our victory. I have left them to God.”

Wike spoke when he addressed Rivers State Party Stakeholders on Monday. He spoke of the betrayal he suffered in the hands of those he called his brothers.

Wike said he entered the race on the basis of the agreement they reached that   the Presidential seat rotates to the South. He said he thought the agreement was reached with human beings, but he noted: “Some people are no human beings,”

Wike: “As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to worry about. I contested that election based on the agreement with all the Southern Governors and the leaders of the South that the Presidency should go to the South.”

Sadly, Wike said, it is a shame that some people from the South were used to sabotage his victory, the victory of the South. “It is a shame.”

Wike: “We have done our own part. We never betrayed anybody because it is not in our blood to betray. But it is a shame to those people, some Governors from the South who are the people they used to sabotage our victory. But, however, we have shown them that we are not like them.

“There are people you think are human beings, but they are not.”

The Governor was proud of his performance in the face of the sabotage he suffered. Indeed, he was not humiliated. He placed a respectable second place by scoring 237 votes to Atiku’s 371. The third person, former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, trailed Wike with a score of 70 votes.

Wike: “We have made history, and for those betrayers, history will judge them. But as I have said earlier, I won’t abandon the party.

“They underrated us but that has changed. We made them not to sleep and eat.

“This country does not belong to any particular zone, it belongs everybody.”

Recall that just before voting  started on Saturday, Tambuwal stepped down from the contest, and directed his supporters to vote Atiku. That changed the course of the race, and tilted the victory comfortably towards Atiku.

The magazine gathered that South- south states, with the exception of Rivers State  which voted Wike, and Akwa Ibom which voted the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, others voted Atiku. Emmanuel’s 20 votes were a waste, many pointed out.

By Gideon Njoku

As he did in 2019, victorious  Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has visited Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Atiku’s visit comes on the heels of his victory over at the PDP Presidential Primary held in Abuja on Saturday May 28. Atiku beat Wike to a respectable second place- 371 to 237 votes.

In 2019, Atiku had, also, visited an angry Wike to appease him after he defeated Wike’s favourite, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal to pick the 2019 ticket.

Ironically, in 2022, it was Tambuwal who did Wike in when he tilted victory in favour of Wike.

Tambuwal, also, a strong Presidential aspirant, stepped down for Atiku, and ordered his supporters to vote Atiku. Before the last count of the votes, an upset Wike stormed out of the venue. And, even though Wike had pledged, just before voting started, that he would support, fully, anybody who picked the ticket, he was still to congratulate Atiku 48 hours after he lost.

Atiku’s visit to Wike, in the company of a number of his supporters and stakeholders, is to solicit for his support and understanding.

In the months leading to the Presidential Primary, Wike had vehemently opposed Atiku’s aspiration, insisting that the Presidency should rotate to the South. There are speculations that Wike did not mean he would support Atiku when he made  the pledge to support any eventual winner. “Anybody but Atiku”, a source told this medium.

However, an unconfirmed source told TheSource (Magazine), that a possible offer to Wike as Atiku’s running mate is on the cards. Having come second in the Primary with an appreciable number of votes, added to his war chest, many think he should be given the running mate ticket. But a source said it will not be that simple.

Not a few people are against the speculated move. They say Wike, given his temperament, will not be a suitable running mate.

Said a Party chieftain who pleaded anonymity: “Wike is not suitable.  He is brash and raw and arrogant and autocratic. It is for the same reason we were against his picking the Presidential ticket. That was why we put pressure on Tambuwal to step down for Atiku. It will be a divided Presidency if he runs with Atiku. They will quarrel.”

On a thank you visit to Tambuwal, National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, had hailed him as the “hero of the Convention”, for swaying victory to Atiku.

Before the Convention, Wike had consistently boasted that he was not running to be a Vice Presidential candidate.