2023: Wike may Support APC, meets Tinubu in France
By Ibrahim Adeleke
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on Tuesday met with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in France.
It was gathered that loyalists of Governor Wike including Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde and his colleague from Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu also attended the meeting.
The sources quoted by The Cable also suggested that Wike, who is having a running battle with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar may reach agreements to support Tinubu and the APC in the 2023 elections.
The source said: “This explains why both Governor Nyesom Wike, who is a leading member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu were both absent at the opening of the ongoing NBA conference in Lagos.”
The sources added that some horse-trading is part of the agenda of the meeting but Wike has no immediate plan to dump the PDP but will remain within the party and work against Atiku.
The sources however added that if things get worse, Wike and his team might eventually decamp to the APC or join forces with the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Peter Obi.
Speaking further, the sources stated that the reconciliation meeting between the Atiku and Wike camps are exercises in futility at the moment.
The source alleged that Wike might also use former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko to destabilize the PDP and its presidential candidate and use his loyalists in Katsina, Kebbi, Cross River, Kano and other states as well against the ambition of Atiku.
“This meeting is a confirmation that the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, even before the 2022 presidential primaries of the PDP, has been working underground for the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu,” the sources said.
“This move is a clear indication that the Governor Wike-led group has been deceiving the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in fruitless reconciliation meetings, but has already decided to play the ‘spoiler game’ by destroying the party from within, frustrate the chances of the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar or when the push comes to shove, move en mass to the APC or Labour Party when the PDP least expected.
“It is important to note here that, part of Governor Wike’s plan ahead of the 2023 general elections, is to use the former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko and other surrogates in Katsina, Kebbi, Cross River, Kano and other states to destabilise the campaigns of the PDP, especially the chances of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”
