Will Wike Back Atiku?

The first part of the 2023 presidential election has ended. Currently, three main contenders are in line to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari: Bola Tinubu of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and Peter Obi of the Labor Party (LP). And even though the gauntlet appears to have been thrown in the midst of these three, people are paying more attention to those holding them up rather than the men themselves.

Anybody that knows anything about winning the forthcoming election knows that it will be won on the back of alliances. Personal prestige can only take one so far, so that part of the election is over. While each of the aforementioned individuals understands this fact and is working to bridge gaps, Atiku may be at the highest risk if his alliances don’t pan out.

At the moment, the person who is most likely to contribute to Atiku’s ship and let it sail to victory is Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. Political analysts claim that once Atiku gets Wike on his team, he will be able to win the entire South-south region to himself, and break the blade that his rivals currently have over his neck.

One would assume that Wike is already on Atiku’s side considering that both of them are under the umbrella of the PDP. However, considering that Wike lost the presidential ticket to Atiku, many analysts are convinced that Wike will not support Atiku. Even worse, it is almost certain now that Wike will not be Atiku’s Vice President, as Atiku has reportedly settled on Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.

A few days ago, Wike was reported to have met with Obi. The content of the meeting was not published, so things are not looking good for Atiku. Then again, these things have never been cut-and-dried, so Wike may still end up helping Atiku win. Time will tell.