- Wike fell apart with Atiku ahead the 2023 Presidential elections.
Dele Momodu, Ovation Magazine publisher, has said that Nyesom Wike still grapples with the aftermath of his loss in the 2022 PDP presidential primary.
In 2022, Atiku Abubakar secured the party’s ticket with 371 votes, surpassing Wike’s 237 votes, leading to Wike joining the G5 governors.
The G5 governors opposed Atiku in the 2023 presidential election, contributing to PDP’s defeat and sparking an ongoing party crisis.
According to Momodu, Wike’s disappointment stems from his conviction that he would secure the presidential ticket and become Nigeria’s president.
“The first issue was that he (Wike) lost the primary in 2022 to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and since then, it seems he’s not been able to get over such disappointment,” Momodu said.
”Because he (Wike) was so sure that he was going to get the ticket and he was going to be the next president of Nigeria. So he was pained.
“That’s natural, anyone who has ever lost anything in life would always feel very bad.
Bala Mohammed, PDP Governors Forum chairman, had declared the party crisis over, directing the national working committee to revert to the status quo.
Reacting, Momodu praised PDP governors for resolving internal disputes, urging Wike to step back from intensifying conflicts for unity.
“I believe that it is a very good start. If you had asked me this same question, this time yesterday, my response would have been different, but I’m happy that, finally, the PDP Governors’ Forum is rising up to its responsibilities,” he said.
Momodu expressed concern over the rift between Minister Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, his chosen successor as Rivers governor.
President Bola Tinubu mediated, advising Wike and Fubara to revert to the status quo.
“If I was in the shoes of Nyesom Wike, the moment the president intervened positively, I expected him to step back,” Momodu said.
“I wouldn’t want to use the word instructed them because they are adults. He advised them to go back to the status quo and maintain the status quo.
“Even a lot of people disagree with the governor, then why did you sign such an agreement? I expected Minister Wike to use that excuse to run away from complete and total demystification.”