The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday, December 12, snubbed Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, in Makurdi, Benue state capital.
Okowa, who is also the governor of Delta state, arrived at the Makurdi airport alongside some members of the PDP presidential campaign council on their way to Lafia, Nasarawa state, for a campaign rally.
According to a top government official, the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, had gone to the airport to receive Wike who was billed to commission a project in Benue state.
The official said that, “When Ortom arrived at the airport, he met with Okowa who had just landed in Makurdi.
“The two governors exchanged banters and Okowa told Ortom that he and other members of the party were waiting for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to arrive at the airport.
“That was when Ortom pointed it out to Okowa that it was against protocol for the Delta state governor and Atiku to enter his state without the courtesy of informing him.
“While the two governors were still discussing, another aircraft carrying Governor Wike arrived and Governor Ortom left for the tarmac to receive the Rivers state governor.
“Okowa, who was in one of the cars parked at the airport waiting for Atiku’s arrival, did not come out to exchange greetings with Wike, even though he saw him coming out of the airport with Ortom.
“It was apparent that Okowa deliberately snubbed Wike for reasons best known to him,” he added.
Recall that since the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, there have been intensified moves by some aggrieved members of the party, especially from the camp of the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, for Ayu’s replacement by a candidate from the south.
They argued that the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2023 presidential poll, and the national chairman, cannot come from the same geo-political zone.
Wike’s camp also noted that they want Ayu to be replaced by a candidate from the south for the purpose of equity and political equation balance.
Source the Nation
