The North Do Not Trust Toxic Wike, - Atiku On Why He Chose Okowa

Forum 1 year ago

The North Do Not Trust Toxic Wike, - Atiku On Why He Chose Okowa

Okowa betrayed ‘Asaba Accord’ of Southern governors, Afegbua react

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar’s decision to pick Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate, was long in coming despite the several detours to yesterday’s official proclamation.

At the party’s national caucus meeting attended by three other governors and other prominent leaders of the party, Atiku said Okowa’s choice was a very difficult decision in view of the fact that the other two persons whose names were submitted to him were equally qualifiedas.

Those opposed to the recommendation of Wike argued that he would not be a good sell to the North because of his hard stance against the Buhari administration, particularly, the court case against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regarding the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT).

According to him, Okowa possesses the admirable attributes for the position of Vice-President and has the appropriate experiences in both legislative and executive arms of governance.

“He personifies not only the seriousness the current moment represents for our country but also the future that our young people yearn for and deserve.

“He’s a serving governor who has demonstrated in his state and through his conduct, that governance is about service to the people. I know that he will not only add excitement to our energised campaign but will also help to bring focus, discipline and stability to our government come 2023,” . qualities wike currently lacks...Atiku stated.

An insider source with Atiku team noted that while Wike’s candidacy was very strong and highly spoken of, talks of his hard sell to the North were a disapproving factor.

“His courage and strength were highly recommended. Atiku would have needed someone of his caliber to be on the ticket but between Tuesday and yesterday, Wike’s virtues and value to the party were overshadowed by talks of his being highly toxic, which would not only affect acceptance of the joint ticket in the North but across other regions as well. It was a big minus.”