Atiku to Wike: “You lack character to be presidential running mate”
In what appears fo be a solemn exhortation, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has charged FCT Minister, Nyeson Wike to eschew bitterness and move beyond the intrigues of the 2023 presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement released on Saturday, Paul Ibe, Abubakar’s spokesman debunked earlier claims by Wike’s media aide that the presidential candidate of the PDP in the election outrightly disregarded the suggestion of an advisory council that allegedly recommended the former Rivers State Governor.
“Assuming, but not conceding that Wike had 13 votes and Okowa had 2 — just like universities confer degrees “in learning and in character” — one must ask: what is the worth of votes if character scores a zero? Leadership is not only about numbers; it is about temperament, dignity, and the ability to unify. A man may boast of numbers, but if his conduct lacks grace and humility, those numbers are empty.
We make no apologies for choosing Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate in 2023. That decision was based on a combination of intellect, composure, and statesmanship.
We have been vindicated by Mr. Wike’s public conduct in Rivers state where he once served as governor and in Abuja since becoming FCT Minister, which has made it abundantly clear why he was unsuitable for the role of Vice President in a ticket meant to unify, not divide.
We urge Mr. Wike and his social media spokesperson to resist the temptation to sermonize about religious piety during Ramadan and Lent, too, while simultaneously fanning the flames of discord. Let us not reduce sacred periods to a tool for petty political jabs,” the statement read in parts.
There’s been no love lost between the duo of Abubakar and Wike since the latter was denied the chance to be running mate to the former during the campaigns leading to the last presidential election.
