Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, has received a warning from Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike that if the PDP does not act responsibly before the 2023 election, he will be in for a shock.
Wike was replying to inquiries about what would happen to the biggest opposition party if today’s election were to take place.
The Rivers State Governor, who campaigned for president of the PDP in the party’s convention earlier this year, talked to a few television stations on Friday, primarily discussing the crisis roiling the party.
Wike and his group, which includes some governors and party officials from the South, believe they were duped out of the presidential ticket and just withdrew from Atiku’s race.
They maintain that the only way to support the party once more is for its National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to quit. They argue that it is inappropriate for the party chairman and the presidential candidate to be from the same area.
While Atiku’s camp has opposed the request, arguing that the party’s constitution must be strictly upheld, Wike warned that doing so might lose them the election and Nigerians’ support.
“If we take advantage of the support Nigerians are given us. And that advantage is to do the right thing [we’ll win] if the election holds tomorrow being Saturday.
“What Nigerians are saying is that this political [APC] that promised us heaven and earth, we’re not seeing it.
“The country has never been as polarised as this before. And then, instead of you to capitalise on that by doing the right thing so that you can continue to enjoy the support and win the election… if the election is conducted tomorrow (Saturday) and they allow themselves to [remain] in this way, Nigerians cannot trust us.
“That is why we’re taking it upon ourselves not to allow this opportunity to go. If they [waste] this opportunity Nigerians have given us, they’ll pay darely for it…if we’re there saying ‘APC has not done well’ then we’re going in for a shocker,” he said.
