The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has asserted that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, made terrible mistakes in his choice of running mate saying that the former Vice President ought to have reached out to Governor Nyesom Wike before announcing his running mate for the 2023 election.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that Atiku, Wike, and 13 others had contested to be flagbearers of the PDP, however, the former number two man emerged winner and shortly went on to announce Senator Ifeanyi Okowa ashis running mate.
Many party members were unhappy with the selection of Okowa because, of the 17 stakeholders who attended the forum to nominate Atiku’s vice presidential candidate, 14 said Wike should be that person’s running mate.
Speaking about this matter, which appears to have sparked dissension within the ranks of the opposition party, Governor Ortom claimed that Atiku’s decision to choose another vice president against the wishes of the party veterans he had earlier entrusted with the task only caused a problem because he asked stakeholders to deliberate and choose his running mate.
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Ortom went on to say that the development would not have caused any bad-blood, seeing that ultimately the choice was Atiku’s, nevertheless, the PDP Presidential Candidate ought to have reached out to those who are aggrieved over the selection, a move which he is yet to make.
According to Ortom, an individual like Wike who has been a great pillar for the PDP in recent years, should have been reached out to by Atiku, even before announcing Okowa as his VP.
‘All that was needed even before the pronouncement, after we did our recommendation, Wike would have been reached out to, he is a human being.
‘This is a man who has built the party today in PDP he has fought all night and all day to see that this party remains together. So, he would have been reached out to, to say that this is the decision we are taking and this is the reason we are taking this decision, and I think he would have understood,’ Ortom explained.
The governor said he believes Wike would have agreed if properly addressed because all politicians know that the party is supreme.
While asserting that all three individuals who the committee recommended as VP were very qualified, Ortom stressed that Wike was ‘imminently qualified’ and was chosen by the forum because they saw him as a force that would aid the victory for the PDP come 2023.
Nonetheless, Ortom said the party still remains united and only have to dialogue and iron things out because beyond the internal interplays, there is a bigger price to be won which is to oust the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the presidential elections come around.