Atiku: I Have No Regrets for Not Picking Wike as Running Mate
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he has no regrets about not selecting Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa, published on Wednesday, Atiku emphasized that his decision was based on the recommendations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, which led to the selection of Ifeanyi Okowa, the former governor of Delta State, as his vice-presidential candidate.
In June 2022, Atiku, after winning the PDP presidential primary, was expected to choose a running mate. Many speculated that Wike, who finished second in the primary, would be the preferred choice. However, Atiku opted for Okowa, a move that sparked dissatisfaction among Wike’s supporters.
During the 2023 election, Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, backed Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), instead of supporting the PDP ticket.
When asked if he regretted his decision, Atiku firmly responded, “No, not at all,” explaining that he followed the party’s internal process.
According to Atiku, a committee was set up to recommend three potential running mates. The final list included Okowa, Wike, and Udom Emmanuel, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State. Okowa was ranked first, followed by Wike in second place, and Udom in third.
Atiku further noted that his approach in 2023 was influenced by past criticism regarding his selection of Peter Obi as his running mate in 2019, a decision he made without broader consultation.
“In 2023, I threw the whole thing [vice-presidential nomination] to the party. I said, ‘Set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as running mate,’” Atiku said.
“They set up a committee and came with recommendations. Number one to three. I picked number one. The number two was Wike, and the other one was Udom. He [Wike] was not the number one.”
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