The political romance between the camp of the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was taken to a new level on Monday when the two met in London, adding to the crisis afflicting the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday.
Strong signs point to Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, stepping up his attempts to win Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s support for the 2023 election.
According to Punch, Tinubu and Wike met in London, United Kingdom, on Monday as part of efforts to cooperate before the election, in contrast to certain internet allegations claiming the pair met in France on Tuesday.
Some governors from the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party were present at the key meeting according to reports.
As part of efforts to attract Wike, three APC governors paid a visit to his Rumueprikon rural residence in Port Harcourt on July 8: Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti and current PDP member, was also present during the meeting.
To end the tension between Atiku and Wike, the PDP formed a reconciliation committee. When Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State, was announced as Atiku’s running mate, a controversy developed.
The panel finally met with Wike in Port Harcourt last Friday after several delays, but there was no progress made due to the governor of Rivers State’s insistence that Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, be dismissed for his role in the former vice president’s election as the party’s standard-bearer.
It was gathered that the failure of the reconciliation panel to assuage Wike’s anger had put Atiku’s peace moves on shaky ground, leaving room for Tinubu to court the governor.
