Atiku’s Claim on VP Slot Disputed as Leaked Report Names Wike as Committee’s Top Choice

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A leaked advisory committee report has cast doubt on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s explanation for selecting Ifeanyi Okowa as his 2023 running mate, revealing that Nyesom Wike was the panel’s preferred candidate.

The document, titled “Report of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of Presidential Running Mate,” was shared by Lere Olayinka, an aide to FCT Minister Wike, countering Atiku’s recent claim that Okowa topped the PDP’s recommendation list.

During an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, Atiku maintained that the party committee ranked Okowa first, Wike second, and ex-Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel third. “I simply followed the panel’s guidance by picking number one,” the PDP’s 2023 flagbearer stated.

However, the circulated report lists Wike as the leading nominee, prompting Olayinka to accuse Atiku of misrepresentation. “How does someone with two votes become first choice over another with 13?” he questioned, alleging the former VP bypassed the committee’s clear preference.

Atiku had earlier detailed his 2019 VP selection process, recalling how ex-President Obasanjo advised picking a southeasterner, leading to Peter Obi’s nomination after WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and economist Charles Soludo were ruled out for non-PDP membership.

Olayinka insisted Atiku should “stand by the truth” about overriding the committee’s Wike recommendation, rather than “painting his decision with falsehoods.” The leak reopens scrutiny of Atiku’s decision-making weeks after he defended it as consensus-driven.