After rejecting Nyesom Wike as his running mate, Atiku Abubakar has reportedly offered him petroleum ministry portfolio if he wins the 2023 presidential election. The Rivers state governor who lost the running mate slot to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, however, rejected the offer, according to a party source. Since Okowa's selection as the running mate, Governor Wike has not issued any public statement to indicate whether he is happy with the choice or not.

Shortly after his emergence as the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, set up a 17-member committee to recommended candidates to be considered as his running mate. The former vice president was said to have taken the decision in a bid to avert a repeat of the accusation that he unilaterally picked Peter Obi as his running mate for the 2019 election. 

The committee eventually recommended three southern governors, namely Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom). 

Considering Wike's strong run in the presidential primary, his supporters and many party leaders urged reportedly urged Atiku to pick him as his running mate to unify the party ahead of the 2023 presidential election. 

However, Atiku rejected Wike and opted for Governor Okowa whom he had allegedly promised to consider for nomination as his running mate to get the votes of Delta State’s delegates in the primary. 

Citing an anonymous source, Premium Times reported that Atiku offered Wike or his nominee the petroleum ministry portfolio if he wins the election after the campaign for the Rivers state governor to be picked as running mate began to grow in the party. 

Governor Wike, however, reportedly rejected the offer. It was learned that Atiku arranged to meet Governor Wike on Thursday morning, June 16, to personally inform him of his decision to pick Governor Okowa. 

Wike and Okowa

However, on realising that Okowa was the choice, the Rivers governor reportedly flew out of Abuja on the eve of the meeting. Since Atiku's public nomination of Okowa as his running mate, Governor Wike has not made a public statement regarding the development. 

2023: I didn’t betray Southern Nigeria, says Governor Ifeanyi Okowa

Meanwhile, the Delta state governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Okowa, has said that he did not betray southern Nigeria by accepting to be Atiku's running mate. He said that contrary to claims and remarks in certain quarters, on his emergence as the vice-presidential candidate of his party, he belonged to a political party that agreed to throw the presidential ticket open as the best way to rescue the nation. 

Okowa, who spoke on Arise Television on Friday night, June 17 said he would not join issues with any group on the issue, especially the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum because he respects the conveners. 

(Legit.ng)