‘He’s a grassroots politician’ — PDP group asks party to pick Wike as Atiku’s running mate

The Patriotic Parliamentarians Front (PPF), a pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked the leadership of the party and Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate, to pick Nyesom Wike, Rivers governor, as running mate.

Wike lost the party’s presidential ticket to Atiku after polling 237 votes to come second.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammed Maikano, PPF’s spokesman, said the likes of Chukwuka Wilson Onyema and Tajudeen Yusuf, lawmakers in the house of representatives are already working to convince their colleagues to endorse Wike as running mate.

Mikano said Wike is a “grassroots politician” and that would work in favour of the party at the 2023 polls.

“Our calculation based on exhaustive studies, is that no one in the entire south-south geopolitical zone can surpass the vote and other strategic resources that can be mobilized towards achieving victory for Atiku/PDP in the 2023 elections; in past elections, Governor Nyesom Wike had defied great odds and consistently delivered the highest quantum of votes for PDP in the entire south-south geopolitical zone,” he said.

“Governor Nyesom Wike’s formidable networks and resourcefulness made very impressive impact in a first attempt for the presidency; his extensive networks across the south-south, south-east and all states being controlled by non-PDP governors adds to the fact that he resolutely kept PDP alive when other governors were hesitant.

“Governor Wike’s grassroots political roots from being a populist chairman at Obio/Akpor LGA, his keen capacity for tramwork and loyalty to Sir Peter Odili, as Chief of Staff to Rivers state governor, as junior Education minister to Prof. Ruqquayatu Rufai, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration are verifiable testimonies to what he can do.

“One easily recalls that during his tenure as substantive education minister, he delivered the Nomadic Education Schools across the North while there were massive infrastructural developments in that sector nationwide.

“Merit, capacity, rich nationwide network of contacts and resourcefulness are among factors that make Wike, a former National President of ALGON such a dynamic complement towards actualizing PDP’s electoral victory in next year’s presidential elections.”