The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday visited the current governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike at his private residence in Port Harcourt. While the former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, said the issues he discussed with the governor were matters of national interest, political analysts linked the close door meeting to the forthcoming elections.
State of play
- Gov Nyesom Wike lost the presidential ticket to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the national convention of the People Democratic Party (PDP). In the aftermath of the primaries, Gov Wike accused southern governors of betraying him at the party’s event.
- After weeks of speculating Gov Nyesom Wike and two others as leading candidates for the party’s running mate to the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar snubbed the River State governor for Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
- Reports are that there is reportedly friction between the Gov Nyesom Wike and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
- PDP stakeholders speaking to journalists earlier in the week claimed that Atiku Abubakar had set up a team to reconcile the duo.
Worthy of note
The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and his entourage are working to establish the party as a third force in Nigeria’s presidential elections, a move that breaks the long streak of a two-way presidential election. Recently, Labour Party and Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso’s Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) announced ongoing talks for a merger of both parties.
What to watch
Although it is not clear if Gov Nyesom Wike plays a role in Peter Obi’s grand plan, it is vital for the former state governor to secure one of the “lions” of the PDP to better his chances of a presidential victory come 2023.