Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, has insisted that Minister Nyesom Wike remains resolute in his support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election – a decision made in contrast to the Peoples Democratic Party’s choice of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking on Sunday in Abuja, Olayinka dismissed claims by Atiku’s camp that the PDP committee had recommended former Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as the presidential candidate’s running mate. “Atiku’s assertion that Okowa was the first choice of the committee is false,” Olayinka said, reiterating that such claims were merely attempts to defend previous misrepresentations.
Olayinka explained that the committee’s report was issued to set the records straight and that Atiku, in defiance of the advisory recommendations, simply picked the running mate he wanted rather than following the committee’s process. “By saying that ‘there were no laid down rules or laws on the selection process of a running mate. Committees, consultations, and recommendations are advisory in nature. The final decision rests solely and exclusively with the presidential candidate,’ Atiku’s Media Office has, in effect, confirmed that their principal lied and showed no regard for the PDP as a party,” he stated.
The Special Assistant further emphasized that Nyesom Wike never sought to be Atiku’s running mate, citing the “enormous baggage” associated with Atiku’s candidacy. “My principal was never keen about being Atiku’s running mate because of the enormous baggage he is carrying, and he has no regret working against him in the 2023 presidential election,” Olayinka added.
He described the statement issued by Atiku’s media office as a “face-saving attempt” to cover up earlier falsehoods and noted, “It gladdens our hearts that we have been able to establish that Atiku lied and he is not a man to be trusted. That he chose to lie during the Holy Month of Ramadan is, however, between him and Allah.”
Olayinka also reiterated that while Atiku, as the PDP candidate, had the right to choose his running mate in both the 2019 and 2023 elections, he should be accountable for his decisions. “He should be able to defend his choice and be honest for once to accept the consequences, not trying to misrepresent facts to justify the choice he made,” he said.
He concluded by stressing that no personal ill-feelings are harbored against either candidate for their respective choices. “Just as Atiku, the loser in the election, has said he has no regret over the choice he made, Wike too has no regret over his choice. For us, no ego is bruised and no bitterness remains – it’s simply a matter of making our own choices. But more than two years later, Atiku is now trying to defend his own choice of failure with lies,” Olayinka remarked.
Addressing the broader implications for the PDP, he urged Atiku to clarify his party affiliation, noting, “On the PDP and the task of rebuilding it, it is necessary for Atiku to first come clear as to which party he belongs now because PDP has not formed a coalition with any political party. His penchant for seeking to contest the presidential election under any available party remains PDP’s major albatross.”
The remarks by Olayinka come amid ongoing political debates as parties and their supporters continue to reflect on the outcomes of the 2023 presidential election and the strategic choices made by key political figures.
