Senator Dino Melaye has claimed that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike plotted against People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the February 25th presidential election since the latter refused to accept him as his running mate.
According to Melaye, the PDP presidential candidate’s spokesperson, Wike was only fighting Atiku since the latter chose Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate despite Wike’s entreaties.
Wike allegedly called Melaye 19 times in two hours, pleading with him to persuade Atiku to name him as his running mate.
Recall that after losing the party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, Wike refused to work with the party’s nominee, stating the party’s embattled chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down.
Wike, in collaboration with other four governors had insisted that they would not allow the candidate of the party and the PDP chairman to be northerners.
Melaye noted that the refusal of the former Vice President to yield to Wike’s request brought about the plot against him in the just concluded February 25 presidential election.
Melaye was reacting to a comment by Wike that the former senator would never be the governor of Kogi State.
Speaking in an interview on AIT, Melaye said: “Wike has no iota of integrity. Wike was calling me when Atiku Abubakar was to announce his running mate. I have records and I’m going to print them out. I’m waiting for him. He called me 19 times in two hours, begging us to convince Atiku Abubakar to make him the vice presidential candidate.
“He was at the airport. I have the video. He spent hours in the airport waiting for me to call him that Atiku Abubakar has picked him as the running mate. He was at the airport here waiting, calling me. I have witnesses. He was begging, promising heaven and earth that Atiku should announce him. It was around 1 or so that I called him that, Oga, nobody go give you vice president. That’s when he left and flew back.”