He followed the similar strategy when he went to Anambra to woo PDP delegates. "Your son's sprinting, but he can't win." I predict he'll lose. Vote against him." Obi's attendance at Atiku Abubakar's declaration, where he called him the guy who could "repair the economy," was his only sign of prejudice. That's history.
The primary is over. There were 767 votes. Atiku won the ticket with 371 points, while Wike came in second with 237. Bellicosity is well-known. Since then, he's been like a wounded lamb, attacking party members.
Wike has deep pockets from which he funds his political fantasies. It's no wonder he's convinced four party members to join him. They include Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu. Others are Samuel Orton of Benue and Seyi Makinde of Oyo. Integrity Group is their name.
In the spirit of equity and national character, the G-5 has withheld support for Atiku and demanded the resignation of PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu. Wike helped instal Benue native Ayu last year. Now they say it's against natural justice for the chairman and presidential candidate to be from the same region.
The Rivers Governor is the group's undisputed leader. He has suddenly become an activist and ideologue. He likes to be seen as a nationalist like Dr. Nnamid Azikiwe. But the more he wears this robe, the more his true self emerges as an enemy of an Igbo president of Nigeria.
In light of recent endorsements of Obi by more altruistic patriots, especially former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his crocodile tears for Atiku must be understood.
Wike said he hoped Obasanjo would stay quiet if he didn't pick Atiku.
By Wike's notoriety and grievances with his party's leadership, his latest reaction may be a smokescreen. The Rivers governor hates anything that brings the Igbo closer to the White House.
Despite his ancestral ties to the Igbo as an Ikwere, Wike's greed and selfishness deprived the South East of a presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
First, the outspoken Governor championed the return of the presidency to the South in the name of zoning and fairness and equality. He refused to micro-zone the southeast, the only leg of the tripodal zone without the important post since 1999.
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the immediate past president, is a fellow Niger Deltan from Bayelsa State. Only rabid ambition and greed could have caused Wike's amnesia.
An examination of Wike's actions reveals something scary. His antics and intolerance drove out prominent Igbos and others, including Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Ben Ayade of Cross River, and Obi. His deputy and governors of Sokoto and Edo became entangled in his throat. Wike probably had a reply.
How does Wike's gang influence him? Both Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are out of office and not running again. Although Ortom is a finalist, he has the PDP Senate ticket for his zone. Makinde is re-running. Analysts say Wike's spending habits are to blame.
He doesn't pretend to use the Rivers' vault for nonsense. The gang mutinies on Rivers' tab. I can't count how many times they've travelled to the UK for meetings that could have been held at home, boosting the local economy. Needless to say, their states shut down when they travel.
The group seems to be at a campaign crossroads.
No one wants to touch Atiku with a long pole. Tinubu vs. Obi? They won't name their preferences.
Is Wike playing ostrich in the Igbo's quest for the presidency? It's windy.
(Source: thenewsnigeria.com.ng)
