Dino Melaye, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship aspirant in Kogi State, has disclosed how governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, allegedly pleaded with him to ensure PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar pick him as his running mate.
Information Nigeria reports that after losing the Party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, the governor refused to work with the Party’s candidate, saying the former chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, should step aside.
Also, Wike in collaboration with other four governors had insisted that they would not allow the candidate of the party and the chairman be from the same northern zone.
Melaye opined that Wike was only fighting Atiku because the latter chose governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate despite Wike’s plea.
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According to him, Wike called him about 19 times in two hours, appealing to him to convince Atiku to announce him as the vice presidential candidate.
He added that the refusal of the former vice president to yield to Wike’s request brought about the plot against him in the just concluded February 25 presidential election.
Melaye speaking in an interview on African Independent Television and reacting to a comment by Wike that the former senator would never be the governor of Kogi State said: “Wike has no iota of integrity. Wike was calling me when Atiku Abubakar was to announce his running mate. I have records and I’m going to print them out. I’m waiting for him. He called me 19 times in two hours, begging us to convince Atiku Abubakar to make him the vice presidential candidate.
He was at the airport. I have the video. He spent hours in the airport waiting for me to call him that Atiku Abubakar has picked him as the running mate. He was at the airport here waiting, calling me. I have witnesses. He was begging, promising heaven and earth that Atiku should announce him. It was around 1 or so that I called him that, Oga, nobody go give you vice president. That’s when he left and flew back.”
