Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has finally met for the first time since the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta as his running mate.
Atiku, Wike and some of critical stakeholders of the party met in Abuja on Thursday.
Daily Trust reports that the duo who have been having a running battle since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary met at the house of Professor Jerry Gana on Thursday.
Atiku had defeated Wike in the Primary, but the Rivers’ governor indicated interest in being the presidential running mate, but the former VP settled for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
This had worsened PDP crisis as Wike fratenised with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The crisis between the duo was said to have delayed Atiku’s composition of his campaign organisation.
However, the PDP BoT met over the issue between Atiku and Wike and resolved to reconcile both men.
After the Wednesday meeting of the BoT, Senator Abdul Ningi, acting secretary of the committee, told journalists that the members of the board would resolve the impasse and enable the party to present a common front during the coming elections.
A source told Daily Trust that at Thursday’s meeting, which lasted for over an hour, the politicians agreed to set aside their differences and work together.
The source said they agreed that a small committee would be set up to look into areas where the camps of Wike and Atiku can work together.
The committee would then report to the panel that the BoT set up to resolve the crisis.
Wike had avoided commenting about Atiku publicly until the Presidential Candidate granted an interview where he spoke about him in an ARISE TV interview.
Atiku had said he did not pick Wike as his running mate because he wanted someone he could work with “amicably”.
“Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party. But you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country.
“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician. He’s courageous, tenacious. I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country. It’s not a question of rejection. Certainly, not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected governor Wike,” Atiku had said.
Wike had replied by accusing Atiku of telling lies against him in the interview.
