Melaye: Wike fooling Nigerians with equity rhetorics — he lobbied to become Atiku’s running mate
Dino Melaye, a former senator representing Kogi West, has revealed Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State, lobbied to become Atiku Abubakar’s running mate.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had picked Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State, as his running mate for the February 25 presidential election.
Speaking with Arise TV on Wednesday, Melaye disclosed that the Rivers governor pleaded with him to influence Atiku so he could become his running mate.
He added that the governor was merely trying to fool Nigerians by claiming his support for the southern presidency was for the sake of equity.
Melaye’s comment had come as a reaction to a remark by Wike that the former lawmaker is not fit to become governor of Kogi State.
His words: “Nigerians should not be fooled. That integrity and equity that he (Wike) is always clamouring for, he does not possess one per cent of it. He will tell you he wants a southern presidency, that is why he is fighting but that is a bogus lie.
“Wike wanted to be vice-presidential candidate to Atiku. He (Wike) called me 19 times in two hours when Atiku was going to mention his vice-presidential candidate, lobbying me with everything possible to influence Atiku to announce him as his running mate. I have witnesses.
Wike's change towards me is because I refused to participate in his very myopic & intellectually stagnant presidential bid. His agitation for power to return to the South is a bogus lie, Wike called me 19 times in 2 hours lobbying me to influence Atiku to pick him as VP – Melaye pic.twitter.com/H8vK1MeHLq
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) April 12, 2023
“Wike was my biggest supporter; he was my biggest fan to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He did not just support my primaries, he provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi on the day of the primary election and called me repeatedly thereafter,” he added.
“That means Wike saw something in me in 2019 for supporting me. He knew I was a gubernatorial material and fit to be governor, hence his investment and support as the case may be.
“So, what now happened between 2019 and 2023 that he is now saying I am not fit to be a governor — somebody you supported materially and otherwise. But suddenly because I am not a bootlicker, and the fact that I refused to participate in your very myopic and intellectually stagnant presidential ambition, you now see me as someone that is not fit and start using foul languages on my person.”
