Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has declared that he has no regrets for overlooking Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
Atiku made this statement during an interview for Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, set to air today.
The rift between Atiku and Wike dates back to the bruising PDP primaries of 2022, when Wike, then the governor of Rivers State, aggressively sought the party’s ticket but was edged out by Atiku.
After losing, Wike expected to be compensated with the vice-presidential slot. Instead, Atiku picked former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a decision that many believe sowed the seeds of discontent that fractured the PDP.
Addressing why he chose Okowa over Wike, Atiku revealed that he deliberately left the decision to the PDP.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate,” Atiku stated. “So in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names.”
According to him, the committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, with Wike in second place and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel in third.
“So I picked number one,” he said bluntly.
When asked if he had any regrets about his decision, Atiku was unapologetic. “No, not at all,” he responded.
