There are indications that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike may soon dump the Peoples Democratic Party following his fall out with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
This is coming after he had received some of the other political party leaders and governor in his residence.
The latest was the visit by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday.
The meeting took place at the private residence of the Rivers State governor in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Obi was a member of the PDP until May, when he defected to the Labour Party to pursue his presidential ambition.
Wike was one of the presidential hopefuls of the PDP, but he came second in the primaries, losing to Atiku, who emerged as the party’s standard-bearer.
The Rivers State governor was also overlooked for the vice-presidential candidate position, with Atiku opting for Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State governor.
Wike has not publicly commented on missing out on becoming the running mate to Atiku.
Obi’s visit to Wike comes a few days after David Umahi, the Ebonyi State governor, who is an All Progressives Congress (APC) member, had met with Wike.
Meanwhile, a source close to the governor claims that opposition parties have been contacting Wike but he was yet to make up his mind.
“Many parties have been contacting him having noticed what was done to him in PDP where he has invested a lot. Though he has not made up his mind, anything can happen,” the source said.
Recall that Wike had shunned a reconciliation committee by the Peoples Democratic Party to pacify and woo him and other aggrieved members of the party.
The initiative was instituted by Atiku in order to mend broken walls in the party and win the 2023 presidential election.
PDP apparently landed in another crisis after Atiku chose Okowa, as his running mate.
Wike, Okowa and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom had appeared before the screening panel set up by the PDP to nominate a vice-presidential candidate to the PDP presidential flagbearer.
Okowa was nominated by the PDP presidential candidate after rumours earlier claimed that Wike had been selected by the party’s advisory committee as the vice-presidential candidate.
Findings indicated that Wike was dropped because the PDP feared he might work against Atiku’s ambition following his loss as the party presidential candidate.
Signs that the PDP might run into stormy waters became pronounced with the defection of some of Wike’s supporters from the party.
Aside from the resignations of two allies of the Rivers State governor – a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, and an ex-commissioner in Edo State, Kassim Afegbua, a mass exodus of party members are said to be looming.
Sequel to the ominous signs in the party, Atiku was said to have constituted a team to appease and fully bring back Wike into his campaign council, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Meanwhile, Umahi’s visit to Wike was called “a friendly and brotherly visit”.
Recall that Umahi dumped the PDP for the APC in 2020 following an alleged dissatisfaction with the party.
Rumours have emerged that Wike may be set to dump the PDP for the APC.
A source in APC said the party might have encouraged Umahi to woo Wike into the party ahead of the 2023 election considering his weight in his region.
It was also gathered that NNPP and its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso had reached out to Wike if he can join the party to form a formidable team.
All efforts to hear from the NNPP were unsuccessful as of press time.
