Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says he will make his preferred presidential candidate known in January 2023.
The governor, who stated this on Thursday, when he commissioned the tenth flyover by his administration in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers said he will also campaign for his adopted candidate nationwide.
Following the PDP presidential primary in May where he lost out, Wike has been at loggerheads with Atiku Abubakar over the chairmanship of Iyorchia Ayu.
After the presidential primary, Atiku, a former Vice President, stung Wike when he passed over his closest rival at the primary and chose Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
Wike, with four other PDP governors known as the G5 or the Integrity Group, have insisted that Benue-born Ayu must step down for a southerner as a precondition to support the 2023 ambition of Atiku.
Earlier in December, the Director General of Atiku’s Campaign, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State visited one of Wike’s ally and a G5 member, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in a move to resolve the crisis but no success was achieved.
Last month, Wike promised logistics support for the campaigns of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; and his New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Wike has also of late hobnobbed with All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts like Adams Oshiomhole and Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, and Cross Rivers State Governor Ben Ayade.
While Wike and his allies have not been seen to campaign for Atiku, it is not clear whether they will support Obi, Kwankwaso or APC’s Bola Tinubu in the contest for Aso Rock’s top job.