The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Wednesday, visited Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at his private residence in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
On arrival at Mr Wike’s residence, the former Anambra governor was taken inside where he had a closed-door meeting with the Rivers governor, according to reports in the local media.
Messrs Obi and Wike declined to speak with journalists after the meeting,
There are speculations that the LP candidate may have visited Mr Wike to seek his support ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Wike was a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He lost the party’s presidential primary to Nigeria’s former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who polled 371 votes against Mr Wike’s 237 votes.
Mr Obi, who was Mr Abubakar’s running mate in the PDP in the 2019 presidential election, was among the PDP presidential aspirants this year.
He announced his resignation from the PDP a few days to the party presidential primary, saying there were practices in the party that were inconsistent with his “belief and persona.”
He defected to the LP where he later emerged the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
Mr Wike had criticised Mr Obi for the decision and accused the former governor of lacking “character and integrity.”
Mr Obi is the third prominent politician to visit Mr Wike after the PDP presidential primaries in May.
Mr Abubakar and the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, had earlier visited the Rivers State governor at his Abuja and Port Harcourt residences, respectively.
Mr Obi’s visit comes amidst speculations that Mr Wike may dump the PDP due to his failed bid to become Mr Atiku’s running mate for the 2023 election.
Mr Wike was rumoured to have joined the ruling All Progressives Congress recently after he lost in the PDP primary. But he has denied it.
Mr Abubakar picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate last Thursday.
The Rivers governor has been agitating for southern Nigeria to produce the next president in 2023. It is not clear, for now, if he would throw his weight behind Mr Obi for the 2023 election.
Credit: Premium Times