2023 Presidency: Decision Will Be Made Known Soon, Says Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state will make known soon its choice for the upcoming 2023 presidential election.

The governor made this known on Tuesday when he commissioned the Rukpokwu-Igwuruta Link Road in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

Wike urged the people of the state to vote in the candidates of the PDP for the governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly seats.

He, however, told the people that the decision on the candidate the state will support for February 25, 2023, presidential election will be made known after deliberations.

“Will you vote our governor? Will you vote for our Senatorial candidate? Will you vote for House of Representatives candidates? Will you vote House of Assembly candidate?” Wike asked a large number of supporters who chanted “Yes”.

“Then the other one, I will come and tell you where you will vote. All I will tell you, is don’t worry, calm down, these ones that I mentioned, make sure you vote them. Very soon, we will meet and take a decision on where we are going,” he added.

Wike, a PDP governor, not on good terms with his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had promised logistics support for the campaigns of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; and his New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso who recently commissioned projects in Rivers.

Last week, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and an ally of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu told Wike that the former Lagos governor does not need logistics support but the votes of the people of Rivers.

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With the 2023 presidential poll about three months, there are fears that the intra-party squabbles between Wike and Atiku over the chairmanship of Iyorchia Ayu would affect the chances of the Adamawa-born politician at the polls next February.

Wike and four other PDP governors known as the G5 or the Integrity Group want Benue-born Ayu to step down for a southerner over what they called the dominance of the north within the party.

While Wike and his allies have not campaigned for Atiku, it is not clear whether they will support any of the other frontline candidates including Obi, Kwankwaso or Tinubu.