Tinubu Or Peter Obi? Rivers PDP Dump Atiku, Reveals Preferred Presidential Candidate

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dumped the party’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike, who is a strong ally of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Recall that the G-5 governors had dumped Atiku following his refusal to prevail on the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign and allow a Southerner to take over the position.

However, the five aggrieved governors of the main opposition party are yet to agree on the presidential candidate to back for next month’s election.

Atiku vs Tinubu

It was gathered that loyalists of Governor Wike have held several meetings on the issue and have strongly resolved to campaign vigorously for Tinubu in the state.

Speaking to Sunday Sun, Nwanosike said Rivers State PDP has settled on a candidate, adding that elders and opinion leaders of the state have decided to dump Atiku and work for Tinubu because of what he described as “unfairness and political imbalance” he claimed Atiku was propagating.

“With this unfortunate development, it is clear that Atiku is not the true unifying factor we thought he is.

“We want to say clearly here that we stand by our leader Nyesom Wike on this issue,” he said.

Northern Dominance

The council boss said it is not possible for a Northerner in the person of Buhari to govern Nigeria for eight years and hand over power to another Northerner, Atiku.

He said: “We politicians cannot sit down and watch this happen. To halt the injustice, elders and opinion leaders of Rivers State after careful deliberation on the matter, zeroed in on Tinubu as the most suitable candidate.

“We have x-rayed the three frontrunners in the race, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Bola Tinubu. It is Tinubu we found to be the true unifying factor.

“To say that Nyesom Wike’s vote is just one vote is a mere political rhetoric that makes no meaning.”

Reconciliation

Asked what would happen if Atiku returned for another reconciliation, he retorted: “No way! The decision of the elders and opinion leaders of the state is final.”

He, however, stated that only Wike could change the decision, adding that the people of the state met without Governor Wike and took the decision to move forward.