Atiku Abubakar Reveals Why He Did Not Choose Wike as Running Mate in 2023 Election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has provided insight into his decision not to select Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, which is set to air today, Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), addressed the controversy surrounding his choice. His decision was widely regarded as a key factor in the internal crisis that later fractured the party.

At the time, Wike was the governor of Rivers State and played a leading role in the G5, a coalition of five PDP governors who opposed Atiku’s candidacy. The group refused to back him, citing concerns over fairness in the party’s leadership structure.

During the election, Wike actively worked against Atiku, later claiming he played a role in securing Rivers State for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Political analysts have suggested this significantly contributed to Atiku’s defeat.

However, Atiku remains firm in his decision, stating that he has no regrets about bypassing Wike. “No, not at all,” he said during the interview.

He explained that his choice of running mate followed a consultative process within the PDP, a departure from the approach he took in 2019 when he selected Peter Obi without extensive party input. That decision, he noted, had drawn criticism for lacking broad consultation.

Recalling his 2019 selection process, Atiku revealed that after securing the party’s nomination in Port Harcourt, he sought advice from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“I went straight to Abeokuta to meet my boss, President Obasanjo, and told him, ‘Mr. President, I have got the ticket.’ He asked, ‘Where is your running mate going to come from?’ I said either the South-East or South-West. He advised, ‘Leave the South-West; I was there for eight years. Go to the South-East.’”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo initially suggested Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, now the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and later Charles Soludo as potential running mates for Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election. However, Atiku noted that neither was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time.

Obasanjo then proposed Peter Obi, a PDP member, and Atiku accepted the suggestion.

“He asked, ‘What about Peter Obi?’ and I responded that Obi was a member of the party. That was it,” Atiku recalled.

Following this decision, Atiku convened a morning meeting with key PDP leaders, including then-party chairman Uche Secondus, Nyesom Wike, and Aminu Tambuwal, among others.

“I returned to this very same building, in this very same room, and met with about seven party leaders. I told them, ‘I have consulted with my boss, and this is his suggestion. Do you have any objections? You are leaders of the party and the governors’ forum,’” he recounted.

Returning to Abuja, Atiku said he met with party leaders, including then-PDP Chairman Uche Secondus, Wike, and Aminu Tambuwal, to present the choice. They agreed to the decision, but after the election, some party members criticized him for not involving a broader consultation process.

Determined to avoid similar criticisms in 2023, Atiku said he left the selection process to the party. “I told them, ‘Set up a committee and recommend three names for me to pick as running mate.’”

The committee’s final recommendations placed then-Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the top choice, followed by Wike and then-Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

“So I picked number one,” Atiku explained, emphasizing that Wike simply was not the committee’s preferred candidate.