A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) panel has reportedly nominated Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar.
The panel, comprising former and serving governors, national working committee (NWC) members, and members of the board of trustees (BoT), reportedly nominated Wike at a meeting held on Tuesday.
The panel was recently set up by the PDP NWC to pick a running mate for Atiku, who won the party’s presidential election.
The committee was said to have voted on the three names recommended by the General Aliyu Gusau committee with the Rivers Governor pulling sixteen votes.
The three recommendations were Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).
Those at the meeting which was chaired by the Deputy National Chairman, North, Ambassador Umaru Damagun, were Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).
Others are former governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers) Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, among others.
Addressing members of the committee just before going into a close door session, National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, had urged the meeting to come up with a conclusion “between tomorrow and Friday.”
Atiku had floored Wike, Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Emmanuel Udom, Akwa Ibom governor; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor, among others, to clinch the PDP presidential ticket.
He polled 371 votes, while Wike, his closest challenger, secured 237 votes.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has fixed June 17 as the deadline for political parties to submit their list of candidates for — president, vice-president, senate and house of representatives — ahead of the 2023 general election.
