Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he has “no regrets” over his decision to overlook Nyesom Wike as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
Atiku, who lost the election to President Bola Tinubu, made this revelation during an interview for Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie
The friction between Atiku and Wike dates back to the contentious PDP primaries of 2022, where Wike, then the governor of Rivers State, aggressively pursued the party’s ticket but was defeated by Atiku.
Following his loss, Wike anticipated being chosen as Atiku’s running mate.
However, Atiku opted for former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa instead, a decision widely believed to have deepened internal divisions within the PDP.
Many party insiders have accused Wike of working against Atiku’s campaign in 2023, pointing to his open alignment with the ruling APC and his eventual appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Tinubu’s government.
Addressing his choice of Okowa over Wike, Atiku explained that he intentionally left the decision to the PDP leadership.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate,” Atiku said.
“So in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names.”
According to Atiku, the committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, with Wike in second place and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel in third.
“So I picked number one,” he stated matter-of-factly.
When asked whether he regretted the decision, Atiku remained firm.
“No, not at all,” he responded.
