How Atiku Wanted S/East, Wike Frustrated Zoning Through His Friend Ortom – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wanted the main opposition party to micro-zone its presidential ticket to the South-East.

This was made known by the spokesman of the PDP PCC and Commissioner of Information in Delta State, Charles Aniagwu while speaking on a live television programme.

He accused Governor Nyesom Wike of scuttling moves by the party to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South East, accusing the governor of influencing the zoning committee headed by his friend and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom to declare the contest open to all.

Anuagwu stated Wike thought he could muscle everyone to win the party primary, adding that the crisis rocking the PDP was caused by Wike’s inordinate ambition to be President.

He said: “In our quest for peace we have allowed the danger of the single story to persist. When the party set up a Zoning Committee it was headed by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue and a member of the G-5 Governors.

“The Committee threw the ticket open for the best to emerge and Atiku Abubakar was considered the most qualified to lead Nigeria’s rescue and rebuilding mission. ..When the issue of zoning was discussed, you know that Ortom was the chairman of the zoning committee.

“Atiku Abubakar was interested in micro zoning to the South East but it was the same Nyesom Wike that frustrated it because he wanted to contest.

“It was not Atiku that made the zoning open to people to just go and contest. In this case, there was a contest between the South and the North, and Atiku was considered by members of the party as the man capable of leading Nigerians out of the woods.”

The Delta Commissioner however stated that the PDP is not contemplating sanctioning the five aggrieved governors of the party.

According to him, the party was taking its time to ensure that all avenues for peace and compromise were explored.