Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has questioned the veracity of the claim by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar, that he is the unifier that Nigerians need.
Wike was reacting to the comment made by Atiku in Kaduna on Saturday where he told members of the Northern Elders Forum that they don’t need to look for any other candidate in Yorubaland or Igboland telling them he is the presidential candidate they need.
Atiku stated this as his his response to a question posed to him by the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, during an Interactive Session with Arewa Joint Committee held on Saturday in Kaduna State.
His comments have drawn the ire of many Nigerians.
The All Progressives Congress candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, that of the Peoples Redemption Party, Kola Abiola, that of the AAC, Omoyele Sowore are some of the candidates from the Yoruba extraction of Nigeria.
Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi is from the South-East region.
“What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the north who also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country,” Atiku said.
“This is what the Northerner needs, it doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate, I stand before you as a Pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”
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Reacting in a short comment, Wike simply asked “Is this your UNIFIER?”
Wike has been at the forefront of the battle against what he called domination in the PDP. He came second in the presidential primaries of the PDP held in Abuja.
However, he had insisted that if the presidential candidate of the party would come from the North, the National Chairman of the party must resign his position.
Just two days ago, Wike said those appealing to him to stop his call for the National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu’s removal, have not addressed the issues.
Wike said he had accepted Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate, adding however that he would not stop until Ayu resigns.