Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Kogi State, has disclosed how Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike allegedly urged him to guarantee Atiku Abubakar choose him as his running mate.
After losing the party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, Wike refused to work with the party’s nominee, claiming that the party’s embattled chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, should resign.
Wike, along with the other four governors, had previously stated that the party’s candidate and the PDP chairman will not be northerners.
However, Dino Melaye claimed that Wike was only fighting Atiku since the latter chose Gov Ifeanyi Okowa as his running partner despite Wike’s entreaties.
Melaye claimed that Wike contacted him 19 times in two hours, pleading with him to persuade Atiku to name him as his running mate.
He went on to say that the former Vice President’s unwillingness to comply with Wike’s request sparked the plot against him in the just ended February 25 presidential election.
Melaye was responding to Wike’s remark that the former senator will never be governor of Kogi State.
“Wike has no iota of integrity,” Melaye remarked in an interview with AIT. Wike called me just as Atiku Abubakar was about to reveal his running mate. I have records and will print them out. I’m expecting him. He contacted me 19 times in two hours, pleading with us to persuade Atiku Abubakar to name him his running mate.
“He was on his way to the airport.” I’ve got the video. He sat in the airport for hours waiting for me to contact him and tell him that Atiku Abubakar had chosen him as his running partner. He was waiting for me at the airport and calling me. I have evidence. He begged Atiku to announce him, promising heaven and earth. I called him that at 1 p.m., Oga, nobody go give you vice president. That’s when he went and returned.”