VP Slot: Why Atiku Snubbed Nyesom Wike, Secondus Resonates, Has The Last Laugh

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Within a space of two weeks, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has lost two important positions.

And, unless his Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wins the Presidential seat in 2023, and appoints him to a position either in Government or in the Party, he could be out of political reckoning as from May 29, 2023 when his tenure ends.

He lost the Presidential Primary to the eventual winner, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, when he took a respectable second place. And on Thursday, he again lost the Vice Presidential slot to the calm and urbane Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Even though Wike had strongly made it clear while he was on a campaign for the Party’s Presidential ticket that he was not running to be the Vice Presidential candidate, and would never accept it, reports strongly indicate that he was interested in running with Atiku.

On Wednesday, Wike’s name came up as not only being the frontrunner, but that he had been picked by Atiku as his running mate.

However, later same Wednesday, two conflicting reports on Wike were carried.

The  first report quoted the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Debo Ologunagba, as debunking the choice of Wike.

He was quoted as saying;

“We have a process as a party, because we are organic. We follow through the processes. We recognize the importance of participatory democracy, ensuring that every stakeholder and organ of the party is involved in our decision-making process.

“This is the beginning of the process, consideration and advisory body need to get to the level where, in consultation with the presidential candidate, they will deliberate on who is most suitable. That process is ongoing, so any report of a particular candidate at this point is probably premature.”

But in a statement late Wednesday, released by the Party, and signed by same Ologunagba, the PDP denied that its National Publicity Secretary granted any interview to any Reporter where it mentioned Wike’s name.

On the contrary, said the statement, Wike was highly recommended by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Party as capable of running with Atiku given his brilliance, energy and commitment to Party.

But on Thursday, Atiku finally pulled the rug from under Wike’s feet. He chose Okowa who, he said, has the potential to succeed him in office.

Speculations have been rife as why Atiku snubbed Wike who, as an aspirant placed a respectable first runner-up, and boasts of a huge war chest.

The first speculation is that Wike, given his “make-up” is not capable of being anybody’s running mate. There was the fear that both of them would clash in office if they win, given Wike’s strong personality.

They describe Wike as brash, uncouth, foul mouthed, and lacking in spirit of team-work. They also allege that he has dictatorial tendencies.

Some others said he lost it because he does not have a smooth relationship with either the candidate or with his fellow Governors.

In 2018, the relationship between Atiku who was then, also, a Presidential aspirant, and that of Wike was strained. At the Primary held in Porthacourt, Rivers State, Wike had heavily backed Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal against Atiku. When Atiku won, Wike’s anger was said to have boiled over, and he had to be appeased by both the candidate and the Party.

Ironically, Wike’s relationship  with Tambuwal is no longer what it was. At the the 2022 Presidential Primary, where both of them were aspirants, Tambuwal stepped down for Atiku, and directed his supporters to vote for him instead of Wike. The Rivers State Governor termed it a betrayal.

Secondus’ Last Laugh

This medium gathered that Tambuwal and Wike fell out over the tenure of the Party’s former National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus. While Tambuwal, as the Chairman or PDP’s Governors Forum, allegedly, was of the opinion, along with others to allow Secondus complete his tenure, Wike was hell-bent on shoving Secondus away. He had his way. Secondus was humiliated out of office.

Ironically, it was, also, Wike who installed Secondus as the National Chairman. It is not clear why they fell out, but Secondus had, in not many words, hinted that he should be allowed to do his work and not be made to obey the dictates of one man. But making a strong case  for the sack of Secondus, Wike had dismissed him as incapable and incompetent.

Not a few people now say if there is anybody drinking champagne over Wike’s failure to get either the Presidential or Vice Presidential ticket of the PDP, it is Secondus. Said a Secondus ally: “It is the law of Karma paying Wike back for humiliating his fellow man, Secondus.”

Wike’s Relationship With Colleagues

There are, also, allegations that Wike’s alleged non-smooth relationship with a number of his colleagues, and stakeholders, even in the South-south, counted against  him in the choice of the VP candidate.

Even though it has been denied, not a few people still believe that it was Wike  who, allegedly, was responsible for the defection of the Governors of Zamfara and Cross River

States, Bello Matawalle and Professor Ben Ayade, respectively, from PDP to APC.

In the wake of his loss at the PDP Primary, Wike had called his colleague-Governors in the South-south, betrayers for not supporting him. He is not in good terms with the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, who he, incidentally, had helped to win his Governorship for a second term. Delta did not vote for him.Nor did Akwa Ibom whose Governor was in the race. The votes in Edo and Imo were split between him and Atiku. Bayelsa did not also vote for him. In Imo and Bayelsa State, Wike is not in good terms with two major stakeholders – Imo’s Emeka Ihedioha and Bayelsa’s Senator Henry Dickson, both former Governors.

As it is now, while many think his loss would humble him, others think the Party should find a way to carry him, fully, along because of his capacity to “move things forward.”

Lamented a source sympathetic to Wike: “His problem is that he behaves like a fowl. He gathers things together with his legs, and scatters them with same legs.”

Meanwhile, Governor Wike has denied reports that he has dumped the PDP. Wike, in a statement signed by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, reacted to a viral video that he had dumped his party for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Ebiri said the video was a wicked plot by the enemies to mislead Nigrians.

“Governor Wike has repeatedly maintained that he will never, under any circumstances, defect from the PDP, which has offered him the platform to excel in his political career.

“We urge the public to ignore the distorted video. Those behind it are desperately wicked and intend to mislead the public. Governor Wike remains a faithful, committed member of the PDP and will never leave it for the cancerous APC,” the statement said.