Ifeanyi Okowa’s campaign for governor of Delta State and vice presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has responded to the alleged promise of the presidency in 2027 to Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State.
Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate, was said to have promised to support his bid for office in 2027 during a meeting with Wike on Thursday.
In their response to the report, the camp of Governor Okowa said that the promise to support Wike’s presidency was not realistic.
According to a PDP representative from Delta State who discussed the development with Leadership, Governor Okowa is unmoved by the report.
He claimed that when Atiku announced Okowa as his running mate at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, he also made the same promise to him.
The legislator went on to say that Atiku had said that Okowa would be a good president after him.
He stated that Atiku would take into account a number of factors, such as Okowa’s extensive experience and political trajectory, which would have placed him well to become president during Atiku’s term.
According to the legislator, if Atiku wins in 2023, not only will he be aware of Okowa’s qualities, but the entire nation will also be aware of them.
He stated, “He already has the qualities from the local to the state, National Assembly, and now going to the federal level.”So, after Atiku, who else can compete with him?
The legislator went on to say that Atiku consulted extensively with a wide range of party stakeholders to select Okowa, including governors, members of the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and other leaders, but not Wike in this new promise.
He stated that the governor of Delta State will never participate in the negotiations because he does not intend to run for president but rather because he does not want to be referred to as a betrayer again.
He added that Okowa would even prefer to cooperate so as not to scuttle Wike’s offer of an olive branch.
“While I can read the body language of my leader, he cannot be distracted about such a thing,” the legislator stated.He is an excellent politician who understands the rules.You cannot give what you lack.In a nation like Nigeria, can only one person become president?Wike is well-known to us.Given that he has already drawn a battle line, Wike wouldn’t take such a promise seriously.”