Wike Is The Face Of PDP – Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed

By Akinwale Kasali

Basking in the excitement of  Governor Wike’s endorsement of his aspiration to the office of the President in 2023, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared that Wike is the face of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Rivers State Governor had caused a stir on Saturday, January 1, 2022, when he publicly endorsed, and backed Bala in his aspiration. He was on a courtesy call on his Bauchi State counterpart when he endorsed him.

Even though Wike, also, paid similar courtesy calls, same day, on the Governors of Sokoto and Benue States, Aminu Tambuwal and Samuel Ortom, respectively,  it was Bala that he publicly endorsed, even though Tambuwal has an eye on the same seat.

Recall that Wike had backed to the hilt, in 2019, the Presidential aspiration of Tambuwal. He swung the Primary to be held in Port Harcourt. And raised hell, literally, when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar picked the ticket.

But things have since changed. Wike has shifted grounds. This magazine gathered that Wike and Tambuwal, allegedly, fell apart over the tenure of the shabbily removed former National Chairman of the PDP,  Prince Uche Secondus.

While Wike backed the sack of Secondus, a man he, almost, single-handedly installed Chairman, Tambuwal wanted Secondus to be in office till the end of his tenure. It did not work out. Wike carried the day, just as he has continued, it is alleged, to dictate the pace in the PDP.

Unarguably, the Rivers State Governor, is the most blunt of all PDP Governors. And, he is not in the habit of hiding his feelings. While not a few people, including a number of his colleague-governors, see him as brash, Bala Mohammed thinks differently. He sees what others call brash as a mark of leadership and courage.

Speaking on Saturday, he described Wike as an amiable person, always full of pleasant surprises.

Bala: “Today’s visit has really exhilarated a feeling in me that I have more than a brother in Rivers. I have always looked up to Wike and I have always told him he is a leader not because he is a Governor or he has money. But the stuff he is made up of. Very tough stuff and he is the face of PDP today. And coming to Bauchi today my day has been made.

“What we are after (Wike and I ) is the unity of this country, the progress and development of Nigeria, although I cannot claim to be near him in projects because he is the face of Project in the country.”

Bala Mohammed then appreciated Nyesom Wike “for his courage, forthrightness and capacity to say it as it is and we try to follow you for your capacity to see the truth which is unmatched by anybody. And people misunderstand you but I am proud to be with you and I assure you that we will not have any reason to fight.”

Speculation has emerged that Wike may be working on a Bala/Wike ticket in 2023. However, Wike had consistently, in the past denied, denied interest in the Presidency in 2023.