The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rejected the recommendation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors and National Working Committee (NWC) to pick the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as his running mate ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Bala Mohammed told Daily Trust that Wike, who was then the Governor of Rivers State, felt hurt and humiliated when other candidate stepped down for Atiku during the PDP presidential primaries.
The Bauchi Governor stated that he would not have contested in the primaries if Wike had informed him early about his ambition, adding that he also refused to step down for Atiku when he was asked to do so by ex-PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
According to him, he asked Atiku to drop out of the race and “Leave it for me, as your younger brother-I’ll do it for you.”
He said: “Initially, I sympathised with Wike because he was hurt by Atiku’s candidacy. Remember during the primaries? Wike had supported others before. If he had told me he was running, I wouldn’t have ran. I believed in him as a friend because he contributed so much to the PDP’s development. But things changed. When I saw how hurt he was, I felt for him. Some of our governors even withdrew to pave the way for Atiku, but I didn’t. I didn’t want the ticket to become a northern affair.”
The Governor said he refused to step down for Wike during the PDP primary because he was representing the entire country and not just the North or South.
“I was approached by [former PDP Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia) Ayu to withdraw for Atiku, but I refused. Why should I withdraw after getting so far? If I were to step aside, it wouldn’t be for Atiku. I even told Atiku, “Leave it for me, as your younger brother-I’ll do it for you.”
“We worked together closely (with Wike). Remember, he hosted me in Port Harcourt, and I also hosted him (in Bauchi). We both lost during the primaries, and I encouraged Wike to work with us. He agreed, and Atiku even set up a committee to choose a vice-presidential candidate. Everyone-the governors, the NWC, and all the stakeholders-recommended Wike. But Atiku refused; which hurt us deeply,” Mohammed said.
The Governor stated that Atiku Abubakar did not give him a reason for rejecting Wike’s nomination as his running mate.
“There were no reasons; just insults. That’s why I pitied Wike. He was humiliated at the primaries, and then this happened. We expected him to make a significant contribution to the party, but it didn’t happen, which led to the formation of the G5. There’s a lot of under-current within that group,” he said.
He admitted that the former Vice President was wrong for the way he handled the situation, adding that he initially sympathised with Wike.
Bala Mohammed said: “So, while I sympathised with Wike initially, I believe our elder brother, Atiku, was wrong in how he handled the situation. But to his credit, Atiku has remained statesmanlike, staying quiet and not imposing himself. That’s why I respect him. I believe Wike should also respect himself-he’s a skilled politician. Politics is about live and let live. It’s an opportunity for everyone, and we should allow space for others to rise.”