A former federal lawmaker, Dino Melaye has said the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike lobbied to be chosen as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He made this revelation while granting a television interview on Wednesday April 12.
He said the Governor called him 19 times in two hours, telling to convince Atiku to choose him as his running mate.
Wike contested the presidential ticket of the party but lost to Atiku.
Atiku later chose the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as the vice presidential candidate of the party ahead of the February 25 presidential election.
Melaye said: “Nigerians should not be fooled. That integrity and equity that he (Wike) is always clamouring, he does not possess one per cent of it. He will tell you he wants a southern presidency, that is why he is fighting but that is a bogus lie.”
“Wike wanted to be vice-presidential candidate to Atiku. He (Wike) called me 19 times in two hours when Atiku was going to mention his vice-presidential candidate, lobbying me with everything possible to influence Atiku to announce him as his running mate. I have witnesses.”
Melaye accused Wike of standing against his governorship ambition because he did not support his “myopic” presidential ambition.
“Wike was my biggest supporter; he was my biggest fan to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He did not just support my primaries, he provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi on the day of the primary election and called me repeatedly thereafter,” he added.
“That means Wike saw something in me in 2019 for supporting me. He knew I was a gubernatorial material and fit to be governor, hence his investment and support as the case may be.
“So, what now happened between 2019 and 2023 that he is now saying I am not fit to be a governor — somebody you supported materially and otherwise. But suddenly because I am not a bootlicker, and the fact that I refused to participate in your very myopic and intellectually stagnant presidential ambition, you now see me as someone that is not fit and start using foul languages on my person.”
The Informant247 earlier reported that Wike described Melaye as someone who lacks the capacity to lead a state as a governor.
He made this revelation on Tuesday April 11, 2023 during a media chat in Port Harcourt, the capital of the state.
He explained that Melaye cannot defeat other governorship candidates if he wins the ticket on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party PDP.
He said Melaye will lose the state governorship election which is to take place, November 11 if given the ticket.
“When you give Dino that ticket you know he won’t win in Kogi state,” he said.
“You’re talking about governance of a state, we are not talking about drama.
“Dino does not have what it takes. What is he going to do? Why would Kogi people say they will vote for Dino? Are we joking?
“He does not have what it takes to be a governor at all. It is not about coming to act drama on television.”
Melaye had earlier declared interest to become the next Governor of Kogi State.
Melaye on Sunday March 26 took to his Twitter page to call on his supporters and followers to lend him support ahead of the governorship poll.
He said he was confident that the state will rise again if he becomes the governor of the state.
Melaye wrote: “Let’s do it together. We shall recover Kogi State.”
The screening committee of the party for Kogi State successfully screened Melaye, a former Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, for the guber poll.
Report also has it that some party leaders have pitched their tents with Melaye, for him to become the flagbearer in the primary election.
There are speculations that the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was supporting Melaye.
The media adviser to the presidential candidate, Paul Ibe, dismissed the allegation, saying his boss has no preferred candidate in the party primary.
Wike said : “Elections will come like what they are going for now in Kogi state. Of course, you have seen what is going on — how lists have been changed to favour a particular candidate (whose candidacy) as far as I am concerned is dead on arrival,” he said.
