The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has chosen Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate, OduNews can confirm.
Multiple sources within the party’s hierarchy confirmed to OduNews that Atiku Abubakar has chosen Okowa as his running mate following a series of meetings to determine the party’s vice-presidential candidate.
The party had set up a committee to recommend some candidates to the former vice president.
But despite reports on Tuesday that the committee overwhelmingly recommended Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, his recommendation did not sit well with many leaders of the party.
The leaders felt that Mr Wike is not suitable for a position that places him a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Several party chieftains raised concerns about the governor’s temperament, his perceived dictatorial tendencies and his propensity for picking fights even with key allies.
Some also argued that Mr Okowa possessed a better intellectual bent and would bring better value to governance at the federal level if the ticket is eventually elected by Nigerians.
I am delighted to announce Governor @IAOkowa as my Vice Presidential candidate. I look forward to travelling our great country together, engaging with all Nigerians and building a shared future of peace, unity, and prosperity for all. As One We Can Get It Done. #OneNigeria. -AA pic.twitter.com/JyKxTIhiUh
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) June 16, 2022
