Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified the reasons behind his decision not to select Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
His choice played a significant role in the internal crisis that later divided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
At the time, Wike, who was then the governor of Rivers State, led a faction of five PDP governors known as the G5. The group opposed Atiku’s candidacy, arguing that the party’s leadership structure was unjust.
During the election, Wike publicly worked against Atiku and later claimed responsibility for securing Rivers State for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Many political observers believe this contributed to Atiku’s loss.
Despite this, Atiku stated that he had no regrets about his decision.
“No, not at all,” he said.
He explained that the choice of a running mate followed a consultative process within the party. He recalled that in 2019, when he selected Peter Obi, some party members criticized him for not seeking broader input.
“In 2019, after winning the primary in Port Harcourt, I went to Abeokuta to inform President Obasanjo. He asked about my preferred running mate, and I mentioned either the South-East or South-West. He advised me to choose from the South-East since he had already served from the South-West. I agreed.”
Atiku revealed that Obasanjo first suggested Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, now Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), but he pointed out that she was not a PDP member. Obasanjo then recommended Charles Soludo, but Atiku gave the same response.
“Then he asked, ‘What about Peter Obi?’ I confirmed Obi was a party member, and that finalized the decision. I later met with key party leaders, including Uche Secondus, Wike, and Tambuwal, and informed them. They all supported the choice.”
Despite this process, Atiku said some party members later accused him of failing to consult widely.
“So in 2023, I decided to let the party take the lead. I instructed them to form a committee and recommend three potential running mates.”
The committee submitted three names: then-Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the top choice, Wike as the second, and then-Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel as the third.
“So I selected the first person on the list,” Atiku explained, emphasizing that Wike was simply not the preferred choice.