Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant, Public Communications and New Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has replied, saying his principal has no regret working against Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections.
Olayinka was reacting to Atiku’s interview on Arise TV where he said he has no regret picking Wike as his running mate in the presidential election.
In the interview, Atiku recalled how party leaders accused him of not consulting widely before picking former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi as his running mate in 2019.
“They said I did not consult with the party enough. So in 2023, I threw the whole thing to the party. I said, ‘Okay, set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as a running mate,” he said.
The former VP noted that the committee submitted three names with Ifeanyi Okowa as the first choice, Wike as the second, and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel as the third.
“So I picked number one,” he said, adding that his decision not to pick Wike was simply because he was the second choice on the list.
However, Atiku, who had run for the presidency a record six times, said he had no regrets about not picking Wike.
“No, not at all,” he said.
Speaking with TheScrutinyNG, Olayinka said Wike also has no regret not supporting Atiku in the election.
“Wike too has no regret not supporting him and getting him to lose the election,” he said.
“Two years after making the PDP lose a presidential election it could have won, Atiku is giving reasons he did not pick Wike as his running mate and that he has no regrets.”
“Someone should tell our serial presidential election contester that Wike also has no regret ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again,” he added.
