Running Mate: Atiku Faults Governor Ortom’s Claim, Reveals Details of PDP Committee’s Report on Wike, Others

• The PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar on Friday made some detailed revelations regarding Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's emergence
• In an interview aired on Friday, July 22, Atiku maintained his vice's emergence was not done through voting
• Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state had earlier disclosed that 14 out of 17 members of the PDP panel preferred Governor Nyesom Wike over Okowa

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the committee set up to recommend a running mate for him did not do so through voting, The Cable reports.

Abubakar made this disclosure in an interview aired by Arise TV on Friday, July 22.

The PDP internal crisis

The PDP has been embroiled in rancour since Atiku picked Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

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Atiku reveals major disagreement he has with Tinubu, speaks on Muslim-Muslim ticket

Okowa's emergence

The selection of Okowa sparked varied reactions in the party as it was believed that Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, would be his choice.

There were also reports that most members of the panel set up to recommend a running mate voted for Wike.

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state had said that 14 out of 17 members of the PDP panel preferred Wike over Okowa.

Atiku

But on Friday, Abubakar said the committee did not vote, but only made recommendations on the matter.

“The committee that was set up at my own instance deliberated, but there was no vote and they recommended three names because they knew that it was prerogative to pick any one of the three, so there was actually no vote. More so, Ortom himself chaired that committee, he knew that there was a vote taken and I have the report of that committee.”

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I didn’t reject Wike, Atiku says, reveals why he picked Okowa as running mate

Atiku reveals what Ortom said

Asked if Ortom lied to the public, Abubakar retorted:

“What he said was inaccurate, I can give you a copy that was sent to me, there was no voting there, there was no record of any vote, absolutely not.”

Muslim-Muslim ticket: Atiku reveals major disagreement he has with Tinubu

Meanwhile, Atiku also said the Muslim-Muslim ticket option made him reject Asiwaju Bola Tinubu when he wanted to be his running mate in 2007.

Atiku, who served as the deputy of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, fell out with his principal in the bid to succeed him.

He, however, later clinched the presidential ticket of Action Congress (AC), a party that Tinubu was instrumental to its formation after the political “Tsunami” that hit Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors who were elected in 1999.

Source: Legit.ng