Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday evening visited Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja.
Premium Politics gathered that Wike reciprocated Atiku’s visit which the former Vice-President paid on Monday.
The meeting ended on a good note as the governor was seen beaming with smiles after the session.
Earlier, Atiku solicited the support of his rivals in the opposition party to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress in next year’s election.
Atiku stated this on Wednesday after he received the party’s Certificate of Return at the PDP National Secretariat at the Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
According to the former Vice-President whose ambition to become Nigeria’s president started about 30 years ago, his main opponent is the APC and not his co-aspirants in Sunday’s presidential primary.
He urged his contenders to join forces with him to eject the APC government led by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) in 2023.
Atiku described his victory as “a victory for all of us, for our party and for the vast majority of Nigerians suffering under the misrule of the APC”.
During the PDP presidential primary held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Saturday, Atiku polled 371 votes to defeat Wike, who got 237 votes; a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, 70 votes; the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, 38 votes; the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, 20 votes; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, 14 votes and an ex-President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa, one vote.
The delegates were said to be surprised when the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who was one of the front runners for the presidential ticket, stepped down and directed his supporters to vote for Atiku as a result of what sources said was due to the intervention of the northern elders, who were pushing for a northern consensus aspirant.
Atiku, who is also shopping for a strong southern running mate, had since after the contest visited Wike, Saraki, Tambuwal and some other aspirants in their Abuja residences.