Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos will today in Port Harcourt meet their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, PREMIUM TIMES has gathered.

The development is believed to be connected with the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resulting from the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the main opposition party for the 2023 presidential election.

The crisis worsened after Atiku rejected the recommendation of an ad hoc committee of the party and picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

The committee was reported to have recommended Mr Wike for the position, although the party later cllaimed that Mr Wike was only one of three nominees recommended by the committee.

The three South West governors are believed to be going to Port Harcourt for the meeting with Mr Wike as emissaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The ruling party and Mr Tinubu are believed to be trying to capitalise on the crisis in the opposition party to seek the support of Mr Wike for the forthcoming presidential poll.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Fayemi, he confirmed that he was indeed travelling with his two fellow APC governors to the Rivers State capital.

He also confirmed that the itinerary of the delegation includes a meeting with Governor Wike.

However, he said the meeting is not connected to partisan matters.

Mr Fayemi said the visiting governors would only be paying a courtesy call on their colleague, Mr Wike, while using the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Mr Fayemi, who is the chairperson of the NGF, said the forum is having ongoing discussions on challenges related to national security, education and the economy, saying those would form the focus of the meeting of the visiting governors with Mr Wike.

“We are going to Port Harcourt to meet members of the APC in the state but have decided to use the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on our colleague, the governor of the state,” Mr Fayemi told this newspaper.

The Rivers State governor has tacitly remained opposed to his party’s candidate, Atiku, since the former vice president announced Mr Okowa as his running mate.

Instead, he has hosted the presidential candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi, and that of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Port Harcourt over the period, sparking speculations that he was looking to bale out of the PDP.

Last week, the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, decried the treatment the PDP and Atiku had allegedly meted on Mr Wike and advised the candidate to placate the governor.

Other leaders of the party, such as the chairperson of its Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin, and former governor of Plateau, Jonah Jang, have also issued the same advice.

But an associate of Atiku, Adamu Waziri, a former minister who said he met Mr Wike in Turkey last week. raised an objection to the party sending a delegation to placate the Rivers governor, saying as a party man, he should be available at all times to support the PDP which had given him many opportunities.

Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos will today in Port Harcourt meet their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, PREMIUM TIMES has gathered.

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Wike cannot work for apc or tinubu in 2023.All his supporters are contesting on the platform of Pdp.apc have nothing to offer him when ameachi is his arch rival in Rivers

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Wike cannot work for apc or tinubu in 2023.All his supporters are contesting on the platform of Pdp.apc have nothing to offer him when ameachi is his arch rival in Rivers

tinsel:

Politics don't work this way. Wike's machinery works for Tinubu in the presidential and his other candidates in PDP in other elections. ACN governors did it for Obasanjo

Maxymilliano:
Wike is an outgoing governor with awaiting successor. He can't decamp to APC to queue behind Amaechi and Abe

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Presidential election comes before Governorship election, Wike working for tinubu will affecting his candidates contesting for Senate and Governorship election

LegendHero:


Wike will not leave PDP to APC.

He will be in PDP and win River state governor, and other internal politics but work for APC in the presidential election by making sure the party get at least 30%. That’s enough.

You can be a PDP governor in your state and work for another party in the federal. The SW region successfully did that in 2011 for Jonathan.

Tinubu is a thoroughbred politician. Don’t underrate his negotiating power. Again never underrate that man ability to build coalition.

LegendHero:


It won’t affect anything.

Maxymilliano:
Wike is an outgoing governor with awaiting successor. He can't decamp to APC to queue behind Amaechi and Abe

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Tinubu have nothing to offer Wike to work for him and risking his candidates senate election same day.Presidential election comes before Governorship election too.Wike would receive every visitor,Its no big deal.

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Wike cannot work for apc or tinubu in 2023.All his supporters are contesting on the platform of Pdp.apc have nothing to offer him when ameachi is his arch rival in Rivers

saintopus:
Wike defection to APC will not likely happen with the following reasons

1. The APC Structure in Rivers State is highly unstable

2. They may not allow him to be control of both factions

3. What Will happen to Amaechi faction

4. Abbey faction nko?

5. What will happen to the judicial panel that indict Amaechi?

6. What will happen to his PDP gubernatorial candidate.

LegendHero:


Wike will not leave PDP to APC.

He will be in PDP and win River state governor, and other internal politics but work for APC in the presidential election by making sure the party get at least 30%. That’s enough.

You can be a PDP governor in your state and work for another party in the federal. The SW region successfully did that in 2011 for Jonathan.

Tinubu is a thoroughbred politician. Don’t underrate his negotiating power. Again never underrate that man ability to build coalition.

VoteTinubu2023:
Nyesom Wike. Welcome to the team in advance. You can remain in PDP and flexibly deliver for APC. I trust you.

I only need 40% of Rivers votes in the 2023 Presidential elections. Let Atiku and others share the rest.



Vote Tinubu 2023. Vote APC.

VoteTinubu2023:
Nyesom Wike. Welcome to the team in advance. You can remain in PDP and flexibly deliver for APC. I trust you.

I only need 40% of Rivers votes in the 2023 Presidential elections. Let Atiku and others share the rest.



Vote Tinubu 2023. Vote APC.

PaChukwudi44:

And you think Wike controls 40% of Rivers electorates??

PaChukwudi44:

Oga APC cannot win 30% in Rivers presidential elections whether Wike supports them or not.

The people of the Niger -delta are waiting to payback Tinubu for his 2015 treachery

PaChukwudi44:

Oga APC cannot win 30% in Rivers presidential elections whether Wike supports them or not.

The people of the Niger -delta are waiting to payback Tinubu for his 2015 treachery

LegendHero:


I am sure you got this confidence of yours from a mad man.

haffaze777:


Like Pandora criminal bah?