Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP Governors met a fortnight ago the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in the United Kingdom (UK), leading to speculations on the next move of the PDP governors comprising Seyi Makinde , Samuel Ortom and Okezie Ikpeazu of Oyo, Benue and Abia states respectively.
Wike had, upon return from London after the interface, said his meeting with Tinubu was in Nigeria’s interest.
He also met Labour Party’s Peter Obi in London.
The follow-up meeting between the Wike group and Tinubu, scheduled to hold in the UK later this week, according to sources, is to consolidate on the working agreement reached two weeks ago.
“For whatever it’s worth, consultation is ongoing. Whatever we are talking about, is in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to one person or group of persons. We believe that with what is going on, it will be in the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day.
“Consultation is still ongoing. Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this country. Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody,” Wike said after the last meeting.
However, reports emerged stating that Wike and Tinubu sides couldn’t arrive at a working agreement at the forum.
Demands:
Tinubu was alleged to have declined to commit to all of Wike’s conditions before working together in the poll.
Quoting sources, the report said: “Wike was said to have demanded that the APC candidate ensures if he wins the presidential election, which comes first, he will ensure he does not influence the outcome of the governorship and House of Assembly polls in Rivers, Benue, Oyo and Abia states, so that candidates in his camp and those of the other governors could maintain control of the states.
“He also wanted assurances that their men should be allowed to win Senate and House of Representatives seats, including the governors contesting senatorial elections. There was no headway on this demand either, since the presidential and National Assembly elections would take place the same day.”
Multiple sources familiar with the talks at the London meeting said they ruled out any defection of Wike and his allies to the APC.
They were said to have agreed that Wike and his group would remain in the PDP where they would work for Tinubu by ensuring he wins the presidential election in their states.
Over 10 million votes
The states include Benue, Rivers, Oyo and Abia.
Checks showed that as of August 2022, Rivers had 3,689,197 registered voters, Oyo, 3,330,336 and Benue, 2,832,087. The figures for Abia weren’t available at press time.
However, the combined voting strength of these PDP states is over 10 million.
Speaking further on the agreement between Tinubu and Wike, one of our sources said: “ The agreement between Wike and Tinubu is real. Wike is not defecting to APC because Rivers APC wouldn’t even welcome him. At the meeting where he tabled his conditions to support Asiwaju, it was agreed that he will work for oga. And he has commenced. You could see it from his actions and utterances. Whether he reconciles with Atiku or not, Wike is working for Tinubu.
“Their latest trip is to formalise the terms of the working arrangement. Rivers votes are very important to Tinubu and the APC is exploiting the vacuum created by PDP crisis.”
Another source said: ”They are working for the APC, it is confirmed. Wike and Ortom flew to London to meet with Seyi Makinde to formalise their working agreement with Tinubu.
“They are meeting Tinubu again next week. You know they met two weeks ago in London, they are meeting with him again this week. They will not move to APC but they will stay in the PDP and work for the APC.”
2 things that may happen
The source, a former member of the National Working Committee, NWC, confirmed that Wike and his group will remain in the PDP and work against it in 2023 if their demands are not met.
“I have said it continuously that Wike and his team will remain in the PDP and work against the party if their demands are not met.
“But if they see that the chances of either Peter Obi or Bola Tinubu are bright, they,Wike and his group, may defect and work for them. They will work for either of them but it will most likely be Obi.”
“On their proposed meeting with Tinubu again in London, the source said: They are just testing the waters. ‘’
2019 scenerio may be replicated
The source also revealed that some PDP governors worked against the former Vice President, who was also the party’s candidate in 2019.
He said:”In 2019, they did not work for Atiku. Among all of them, the only person who worked for Atiku was Ortom. Seyi Makinde, Ugwuanyi and Ikpeazu did not work for Atiku. What happened then was that Igbo governors had an agreement to work for Buhari. Rivers gave Buhari 24 percent during the election.
“That was what they did in 2019. And that is what they are going to do again in 2023. What they are doing is not new but it is not going to affect the party in any significant way. The difference between then and now is clear.”
Sources add that Wike, Ortom , Makinde and Ikpeazu had met in London last Friday to finalise their pact with Tinubu.
The aggrieved PDP governors were said to have concluded plans for another meeting with the APC presidential candidate.
Recall that a few days after the first London meeting with Tinubu, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, a close associate of Tinubu and placeholder before Senator Kashim Shettima was chosen as ruining mate to APC candidate, said Wike had agreed to work with Tinubu.
His words: “The meeting was basically on the 2023 presidential election and by God’s grace, we are going to work with Governor Nyesom Wike. He will assist and we are going to win the election with ease, by the will of God.”
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