The move by some stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party to substitute the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as the party’s vice-presidential candidate has been rejected by Atiku Abubakar.
The stakeholders in the main opposition party had taken the step as a means of restoring unity in the party.
Governor Wike and his loyalists seem not in support of the presidential ambition of Atiku ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Recall that a committee given the responsibility of picking the party’s vice-presidential candidate picked Wike, but the former vice president ignored their recommendation and announced Okowa as his running mate.
The development has seen some governors and former governors in the party express their displeasure about the action of the party’s presidential candidate.
Wike on Thursday also ruled out the possibility of a one-on-one meeting with Atiku.
An associate of Atiku who spoke with Daily Independent on Thursday revealed that two proposals were forwarded to Atiku for peace to return to the party.
The source said the first forwarded to the former vice president is for the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu to resign as a presidential candidate and the party’s chairman can not come from the same region.
The associate further stated that the second proposal is for the party to substitute Wike for Okowa, he, however, said Atiku rejected the second option.
He said, “On the first proposal that Ayu should resign, his position was that sacking the national chairman will send the wrong signal of instability in the party, especially with the presidential election just seven months away.
“He wants Ayu to remain in office and oversee the 2023 general elections. Then he can resign if the party wins the presidential election as both the national chairman and president can’t be from the same zone.
“On the second proposal that Okowa’s name should be replaced, he flatly rejected that, saying as the presidential candidate, it is he who knows the right person who can enhance his chances in getting the needed votes in the South, who in this case is the Delta State governor.
On our part, we his associates believe that he can’t work with Wike as a running mate because he was a direct opponent to him in the primary and he has his eyes firmly set on becoming president.
“There are several videos out there in the public domain where he (Wike) said he is not interested in becoming deputy to anyone and all he wants is to become president.”
