People’s Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may have begun a long term plan to neutralize Nyesom Wike, Governor, Rivers State, using Iyochia Ayu, the party national chairman, going by choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate to the PDP Presidential candidate, as it emerged today.
Okowa emerged as Atiku’s deputy ahead of next year’s presidential election despite the party’s committee decision that strongly favoured Wike.
But insiders speaking to Truthlive.net say that Atiku had long sought a way of neutralizing the Rivers State governor after what transpired in 2019. Part of the scheme was to ensure that Iyochia Ayu emerges as the party’s national chairman.
Two other items in the scheme, as gathered, is to ensure that Wike does not emerge as Atiku’s VP and also plan on how to stymie the Rivers State governor’s influence in the party as PDP goes into election.
Sources from within the party told the online newspaper that despite the outcome of the party’s committee report that endorsed Wike, Ayu had to arm-twist members to ensure Wike was shoved aside using his position as the party chairman.
A source privy to this development said that the outcome that produced Okowa as VP candidate is purely the handiwork of Atiku and Ayu because the plan was hatched to reflect the emergence of Okowa.
“Hours before this announcement, the committee members met and another round of voting took place, Wike still defeated other contestants by a wide margin.
“Five members abstained and Wike still won 10-6 but Ayu insisted that the others must cast their votes and they bluntly refused, this development led to anxiety but at the end of the day Ayu properly played the script of Atiku.
Another source narrated That ”why it took the party long to announce Okowa was because Wike had won, but was not Atiku’s anointed candidate for running mate.
“Ayu on the other hand had to play the script of Atiku to cover him as if he had no hand in this whole charade but he was simply the arrowhead of it all.
Since 2019, Wike has been a rallying point in PDP, a reflection that has created unease among party stalwarts like Atiku