London meetings with Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi crucial – Wike

By Chukwudi Akasike, Tunde Ajaja, Dennis Naku, James Abraham

August 27, 2022

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said on Friday that the meetings his team held with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some presidential candidates were in the national interest and nothing personal like it is generally believed.

The Governor, who spoke to reporters at Port Harcourt International Airport on his return from the UK on Friday, was joined by Benue and Abia State Governors Samuel Ortom and Okezie Ikpeazu.

The PUNCH reported Friday that Wike met with his party's presidential candidate, the People's Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar on Thursday; and that of the Labor Party, Peter Obi.

The governor has been aggrieved since losing the PDP presidential primary and after Atiku chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate.

Wike said, "I can confirm that this is the first time as a team that we have met presidential candidates. We met with All Progressives Congress presidential candidate (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu) and we met our leader, the former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

“We met the presidential candidate of the Labor Party (Peter Obi). We also met our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. For what it's worth, the consultation is ongoing.

“Everything we talk about is in the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to a person or a group of people. We believe that with what is happening, it will be in the interests of Nigerians at the end of the day. The consultation is still ongoing."

He said that leadership should be about the collective interest and not the selfish interest of people. He described unfortunate situations in which a governor who served for eight years would want his son to succeed him.

"It's only in this part of the world that you can see that, when we talk about poverty everywhere. These are people who don't mean well to Nigeria," he said. -it added.

He said competence should be elevated above ethnic and religious sentiments.

He added, "The only identity they have in this country is religion and ethnicity, nothing more. It's either I'm a Christian or I'm a Muslim. I'm Fulani or I am Igbo. Nigeria cannot move forward unless they think it will be him. This is where we are.

"We are in a country where someone with a primary school certificate can be appointed foreign minister. That tells you how bad this country has become. But with our consultation, all that will be a thing of the past. No amount of intimidation or blackmail will deter us. We are determined to do things right."

Ortom, who was the leader of the team, noted that they had met famous people in recent days because of their belief that Nigeria was in distress and needed concerted efforts for the save.

"For us, we are looking at the big picture. Nigeria today is in distress. It is about what we can do. We are looking at how we can harness the ideas and we come together to make sure we get out of the current challenge we find ourselves in today.

"From top to bottom, reflect on what has happened since 2015 and where we are today. It goes beyond partisan politics. We look at how we can come together and find a way to ensure Nigeria's survival. Nigeria is on a drip, Nigeria is on oxygen and it's about how we can get out of this."

He said nothing concrete had been decided but consultations were underway.

He added: “Consultation continues and will continue. We will meet again here. We will still meet people another time and see how we can work to ensure that the Nigeria project works. »

Ikpeazu also stressed that they were on a mission and determined to find a way to save Nigeria.

He added: "It's a country with great potential and we have to protect it. We think we have to engage at all levels. We are also considering talking with the organizations of the civil society and those with ideas and with Nigerians in the Diaspora.

River government team returns to meet former vice president again

Meanwhile, a Wike ally and former senator, Olaka Wogu, told one of our correspondents in an interview on Thursday evening that the meeting between the Wike and Atiku camps in London was a continuation of those held in Port Harcourt.

He added: "Atiku answered some of the questions raised during the...