At last, Atiku, Wike meet in London

The latest meeting comes barely a few hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo in company of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, met with the Rivers State Governor.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier met with Wike and his team in London.

Atiku and Wike had been at loggerheads after the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which the former Vice president defeated the governor.

The crisis escalated after Atiku passed Wike to pick Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate.

Present at the London meeting were Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ahmad Fintiri of Adamawa, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.

The PDP governors wore the same dresses for the meetings with Obasanjo and Atiku with the exception of Fintiri who came with the PDP presidential candidate.

Atiku was Obasanjo’s vice between 1999 and 2007.

Amid the crisis rocking the PDP ahead of the 2023 general election, Governor Wike and his associates demanded the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition for them to campaign for Atiku.

They said all top positions in the PDP are being occupied by northerners, noting that Ayu, who is from the North-Central, must resign as a concession to the South.

The supporters of the governor stressed that Atiku from North-East must honour his promise that once the party’s presidential standard-bearer emerges from the North, a southerner would be the national chairman.

The PDP had since set up a reconciliation panel to resolve the crisis between the former Vice-President and Wike.