Atiku meets IBB in Minna behind closed -door

 

 

. I’m not Atiku’s running mate–Wike

 

The former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,on Tuesday visited former President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) and also held closed-door meeting with his host at his hilltop residence, Minna, Niger State capital.

 

Former Vice President Atiku is the second 2023 Presidential aspirant to visit IBB to solicit his support after their former Lagos State Governor and leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

 

Though details of the meeting ,which lasted for about an hour was not made known, but feelers had it that the meeting may not be unconnected with the Presidential intents of the former Vice President whom it was gathered, is consulting widely against the popular belief that the south should produce successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Atiku  also later paid courtesy visit on the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, to sympathize with the government and people of the state over incessant attacks and killing by combined forces of armed bandits, Boko-Haram and ISWAP.

 

 

 

In an interview, former Vice President Atiku told journalists that he was at the Niger State Government House on a courtesy visit to sympathize with the state government over prevailing security challenges facing the state.

 

Former Vice President Atiku , who, however, kept sealed slips over his 2023 aspirations, simply said, ‘my aspiration for 2023 will be made public when the time comes’.

 

Atiku Abubarkar also told journalists that the Governor has briefed him on the current security situation in Niger State, describing the persistent attacks and destruction of lives and properties as ‘very unfortunate and quite sympathetic’.

 

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Nyezom Wike has declared that nobody can undermine the interest of the people of Southern Nigeria in the decision over who flies the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Wike made the declaration during a meeting of stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

 

He frowned at those who claimed that they are transversing the country on consultation with stakeholders over their interest in the race, but are actually declaring their ambition inadvertently.

 

Wike said the people of Southern Nigeria will make a bold statement at the appropriate time and Nigerians will know where they stand.

 

“Please, discountenance anything you’re seeing and hearing, all those social media posts. The South will make a statement very soon. It is not about you’ll be vice president to this or these people are consulting. The day the south makes a statement Nigerians will know that we are not joking.

 

“It’s not to come out to say you’re consulting. You’re consulting, yet, you’ve declared. Is it not after consultation that you declare. You’ve already declared and you say you’re consulting. What are you consulting again then.

 

“And people take the South for granted saying that they are not together. No problems. If we don’t know yesterday, today we know.”

 

He asserted that Southern Nigeria, and particularly Rivers State, is an enduring asset to the PDP and cannot be treated with levity.

 

According to him, when they make up their minds to support any person in their party of choice,  everything is mobilised to achieving the intended goal.

 

“We are assets. We are not liability. When we say we are going to support the party we support the party with everything we have. We are not in America where you do television campaign.

 

“When we come out, we will choke them. They know it. So,  everybody should relax,  let the south do their homework and then they’ll make a proper statement.”

 

Wike explained that since PDP is an opposition party, what is most tenable now is for every member to forge unity within the party, build greater team spirit and protect it from those who want to sow seeds of discord.

 

He said those who think they could use money to overwhelmed the process of internal democracy, and buy off the ticket, will be disappointed.

 

“What is necessary is how the party must be cohesive. To make sure that the party gets it right. Then when you threaten that it must be north then you’re not trying to make peace or when you threaten you must be south you’re not trying to make peace.

 

“It’s a matter of sitting down and understanding; look at this and that. That is the way it’s supposed to be.

 

“Forget about Chief Dokpesi, with all due respect, Dokpesi are the people trying to destroy the party which is not good. If we follow the kind of statement that Dokpesi is making everyday by now the party would have been destroyed.  But we said no.”

 

Speaking further, Wike said it is obvious that the process is on,  towards the end of his tenure and everybody needs to pray while clinging to unity,  over who becomes the next governor of the State.

 

He asserted that the commonplace expectation is that those who will take over the mantle should be people who are willing to build on the current standard of governance already provided.

 

Wike stated that he will never anoint any person to succeed him but will be praying to God to give to the state that kind of person who will move the state to the next level.

 

“I am not anointing anybody. All I’ve said to God is that help me that a better person will emerge that will move this state forward.

 

“I urge all of you to be calm. It is still early for us to say it must be this person or that person”, according to a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, Special Assistant Media to the Rivers State Governor