15th June, 2022
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State will run on a joint ticket with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 Presidential election as he enjoys the overwhelming endorsement of the Aliyu Gusau Committee.
The Gusau Committee, also known as the National Advisory Committee that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) set up to look into the report of an earlier committee has recommended the Rivers governor, sources said.
“Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike has been chosen by the committee. He was overwhelmingly voted for by the committee. Majority of the members see him as the ideal person to be the running mate to Atiku”, the source said.
“You saw his showing at the primaries. The party leaders believe in his capacity and they have chosen him.”
The committee was said to have voted on the three names recommended by the General Aliyu Gusau committee with the Rivers Governor pulling sixteen votes.
The three were were Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).
Those at the meeting which was chaired by the Deputy National Chairman, North, Ambassador Umaru Damagun, were Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).
Others are former governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers) Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, among others.
Addressing members of the committee just before going into a close door session, National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, had urged the meeting to come up with a conclusion “between tomorrow and Friday.”
