Spokesman of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, on Friday, accused Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of frustrating efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party to micro-zone its presidential ticket to the South-East.
Bwala spoke hours after Wike held a media chat where he opened up on the crisis rocking the PDP since its presidential primary election in May.
Bwala, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said, “The whole gamut of power zoning here or there started with Governor Wike. He virtually had everything he wanted. He brought this chairman (Ayu). When a discussion was being done in the party that power should be zoned, I recall very well, Atiku was inclined that it should be zoned to either southeast or northeast – these are the two geo-political zones that have not benefited,”
“Then, he (Wike) said if it was ever zoned to the southeast, he was not going to run. The movement then was that it should be micro-zoned to the southeast – among stakeholders from the region. He (Wike) frustrated it because he was interested.”
He added that Wike’s stance also led to the departure of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi from the PDP.
Bwala added, “He (Wike) influenced the emergence of leaders that sat in committees – whether committees for party positions or elective office. At his behest, a recommendation was made that it should be thrown open evidently because he is not from the southeast.
“That led to the departure of Peter Obi. If the zoning thing was followed, Peter Obi or probably the former SGF (Ayim Pius) would have emerged as the presidential candidate of the party. ”
But he expressed belief that despite the wranglings in the PDP, Atiku’s quest to “unify” Nigeria won’t change if elected as president.
“The last politician I can look at and say he is discriminatory is Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
