2019 Election: Atiku begs Wike ahead of campaign kick off

Ahead of the opening of his campaign today, Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday met with Rive...

Ahead of the opening of his campaign today, Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday met with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who resigned as the Southsouth co-ordinator of the campaign.

Atiku was begging Wike, assuring the governor that he will henceforth be involved in key campaign decisions.

The governor said he had no grouses against Atiku, but the leadership of the PDP which was trying to sideline him.

Wike may today rescind his decision to resign as the Southsouth Coordinator of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.



Wike has ruled out leaving PDP, said a cabinet source.

Atiku may also reconcile the leadership of the party and Wike on issues raised by the governor.

But Atiku's Special Assistant, Public Communications, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said: "The PCC is intact; there is no cause for alarm."

He insisted that the purported resignation of Wike was "speculative".

A source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the meeting. He said: "Atiku and Wike met on Sunday (yesterday) in Abuja and they had fruitful and frank discussions. We are good to go with our campaign as from Monday (today).

"The governor used the opportunity to list his grouses against the leadership of PDP, especially the emerging trend of marginalising him in key decisions connected with the campaign.

"At the session, Atiku promised to address the challenges identified by Wike and he also assured him that he will facilitate a reconciliation with the party hierarchy.

"Atiku implored him to withdraw his purported resignation by putting the nation, 2019 poll battle and the interest of the party above other interests.

"Based in the soothing words from Atiku, the governor may today rescind his decision to resign as the party's Southsouth coordinator."

An executive council source in Rivers State, who spoke in confidence, said: "I have not been able to link up with the governor today but one thing is certain, Governor Nyesom Wike will not leave PDP no matter how rough the situation is."

"The so-called deepening face-off between Atiku and Wike should be regarded as a mere cliche, figment of the imagination of the writers of such fiction, because there is nothing as such.

" Governor Wike's purported resignation as Southsouth PDP Presidential campaign co-ordinator is still in the realm of speculation.

"Wike is a solid and unshakable PDP leader. His contributions to the survival and sustenance of the party to become the formidable force it is today have been unsurpassed.

"As a total party man, his first priority in the 2019 election is to secure Rivers state for the PDP and he knows that with the Presidential election coming first, all hands must be on deck and no stone must be left unturned to ensure that the bandwagon effect of a PDP presidential election victory will flow into his own governorship election in March.

"However, should the speculation of his resignation as a regional campaign coordinator have any real meaning, then Governor Wike must have very good and impeccable reasons for his decision which must be in the overall interest of the party."