2023: Atiku reconciles with Wike, says ‘Nigerians want PDP back’

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, said he has reconciled on party affairs with Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike.

Mr Wike, an influential governor in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, supported Aminu Tambuwal against Mr Atiku in the 2019 PDP presidential primaries. But Mr Atiku defeated his candidate to secure the party’s ticket to Mr Wike’s consternation.

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor’, Nuesom Wike held a private meeting in Port Harcourt, the state capital

The meeting took place at the private residence of the Governor on Wednesday.

After the meeting, Atiku said Nigerians are waiting eagerly for the Peoples Democratic Party to take over power at the federal level in 2023.

The former Vice President said this in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, on Thursday, titled Nigerians are waiting for PDP to take over power in 2023 -Atiku.

Atiku while speaking to journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday, also said his meeting with Wike was fruitful.

He explained that party affairs brought him to Port Harcourt, and he had spent the time reconciling touching issues with Governor Wike.

According to him, the issues bother on how to ensure unity and stability in the Peoples Democratic Party, which are critical for the party in clinching electoral victory in 2023.

The statement read, “Well, I came here to reconcile with the governor on party affairs and how we can ensure that there is unity and stability in the party.

“So, that we can take over government in 2023. I believe that Nigerians can’t wait for 2023 to come so that PDP will return.”

Atiku described the prevailing insecurity challenges in the country as bad.

He urged Nigerians to wait for the appropriate time when PDP shall unveil its policies on how it wants to address the issue of insecurity across the country.

“I have never seen it (insecurity) this bad. I am 70 years plus, I have never seen it this bad in terms of security challenges, in terms of economy, in terms of unemployment. This is the worst.

“Why can’t you give us time. We will come up with our policies. We will present them to Nigerians when the time comes.

“We have done that before. Under PDP, we recorded the highest economic growth, the best foreign reserves, we reduced unemployment. You know that we can do it?