Wike meets Orubebe, PDP senators behind closed doors

A former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, on Thursday, met with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, behind closed doors in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

This is just as Wike also received some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The senators were led by the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda.

Senators in attendance at the meeting were the Senate Minority Whip, Chukwuka Utazi; Shuaibu Lau, Danjuma La’ah, and Barry Mpigi.

Orubebe’s visit to the governor comes barely three days after the former minister dumped PDP.

Orubebe had in a letter dated June 20 and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Senator lyorchia Ayu, stated that he decided to dump the PDP after realising that the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election.

Hours after dumping PDP, the former minister congratulated APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and hailed APC governors on the party’s zoning of the presidential ticket to the South.

However, the former minister, who also met with Wike at his private residence in Port Harcourt, refused to speak to journalists after the meeting.

READ ALSO: 2023 presidency: Wike, Peter Obi parley in Port Harcourt

The governor also failed to disclose the details of his meeting with Orubebe.

On Wednesday, Governor Wike met with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, behind closed doors in Port Harcourt.

The meeting came amidst reports that Wike is planning to dump the PDP following his loss at the PDP presidential primaries and not emerging the running mate of the party’s presidential standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar.

Wike came second in the PDP’s presidential primaries with 237 votes, while Atiku emerged as the party’s standard bearer having polled 371 votes.

Atiku later chose Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

As part of reconciliatory moves, the PDP presidential candidate set up a committee to pacify Wike ahead of the 2023 general election.

Although the Governor Wike had vowed not to exit the party, he has been holding a series of meetings with top politicians in Port Harcourt recently.

Apart from Orubebe and Obi, other politicians who have visited Wike include Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.

The Star