The governor claimed that at no point did he lobby anyone, not even members of the committee formed to choose the party’s vice presidential nominee.
He claimed Atiku offered him the job, but he informed the candidate that he had already given the similar position to Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State.
He said: “I have never run for presidential primary to be a Vice-President, never. If I tell you the number of Nigerians that called me and said I should take the offer of the vice-president, but I said no. I said I don’t trust these people, I know them too well.
“The pressure was too much, I said let it not look as if it is personal thing. After the convention Saturday, Sunday, the candidate wanted to see me. Immediately we sat down, he said, ‘governor look Ayu must go’. He said we have never had the presidential candidate and the chairman from the same zone. Atiku told me this. Let him said he never said so.
“The next he said was that he wanted us to work together. I said how? He said I should take the vice-president. I said no. You have already promised the governor of Delta. I told him I would discuss with my people. Integrity matters a lot. People don’t trust our leaders again.
“He said one of the retired generals wrote three names, Okowa, myself and the governor of Akwa Ibom. He was asked to write a letter asking the party to nominate the presidential candidate, that he didn’t want to make a mistake he made before when people accused him of nominating Obi without consulting the party.
“I challenged them to show the letter he wrote to the party that made the party to constitute a high powered delegation, five members of the national working committee led by the deputy national chairman, north, national Secretary, National Woman leader, zonal chairman of north central; three serving governors, chairman of governors’ forum, Aliyu Tambuwal, Bala Mohammed and Ortom; four former governors, Sule Lamido, Aliyu Babangida, Liyel Imoke, Olusegun Mimiko; three BoT and two members of the national assembly members.
“Let any of them say they either saw me or I either came to them to speak to any of them. I challenged any of them to say I lobbied for nomination. The national chairman made sure they did not recommend anybody.
“They tried to do all permutations and they wrote there in order of preference. The national chairman went to the candidate in the midnight and asked him to pick anybody. I saw him and told him why do you have to make it look as if, look at the crisis you have caused for the party”.
Speaking on London meeting with Atiku, Wike said: “We were invited to a meeting in London, Adamawa, Ortom, Makinde, Ikpeazu. Atiku said he had confronted Ayu on this statement and Ayu said yes.
“We sat down and he agreed with us that Ayu had to go. He said we should give him one week, that we would work out the modalities. This is what we must do to move forward. You are the presidential candidate, give the chairmanship to the south. If he respects us what stops him from calling us to tell us there are constitutional issues”.
Wike, however, argued that it was dishonest for those who never adhered to the party’s constitution to use it as an argument against Ayu’s resignation.
In response to the urgency of the situation, he suggested that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party be called to reconvene to restructure the party and reverse such decision in a convention after the election, claiming that those advising Atiku had nothing to offer the party electorally.
He said: “These people have nothing to offer this party electorally. You didn’t remember the party recommended zoning of elective positions. The presidency ought to have been zoned to the south. You can’t rely on the same provision to stay in the office.
“NEC can meet and take the decision and meet again to rectify it in a convention. All we want is now you have given presidency to the north, give us our chairmanship. The problem is that we have not won election but we are too arrogant. We are telling Nigerians that we can’t be trusted. You can’t do without me in my state”.
The governor added: “I think you should praise some of us who stood firmly to say that power must shift to the south. For the unity of this country, we have not reached the level where you undermine this issue. If APC as ruling party can come out categorically to say we are zoning this to south. We have accepted our fate, but we are asking you to give us this but you are saying no.
“I say they believe that the presidency is supporting them. No party that wants to win election can be this arrogant. I know what APC can do. As an opposition party, you must show humility.
“It has nothing to do with the treatment of Wike. I am fighting for justice, fairness and equity. It is not about me. But as a party, we must show to Nigerians that we are trustworthy. The only way Nigerians can take it is when you start from this one.
“If you can’t do this now, you are making Nigerians to be afraid. If you say Nigerians are not happy with APC and then you don’t want to do the right things because of that. With what you are doing, you are scaring Nigerians.
“If we take advantage of the feelings of Nigerians by doing the right thing. If we remain like this till the election, Nigerians we have doubt about us. Who will suspend me? Look at the problem they are already having. Those who ran away from the party cannot suspend me. I am begging them to immediately suspend me. Anything you see you will take it”
