Atiku Fails To Congratulate Wike As Okowa Hails Rivers Governor For Excellence Award

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has yet to congratulate his fellow PDP chieftain and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, after he was conferred with an excellence award on Friday.

Wike was among 44 Nigerians including former President Goodluck Jonathan and 16 governors who were conferred with awards by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja under the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS).

Wike was invested with the ‘Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery’ despite his relentless criticism of Buhari’s leadership style and position as a vocal voice in the main opposition PDP.

While Atiku’s running mate and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has issued a statement congratulating Wike for the award, the former vice president has yet to openly felicitate with him.

Okowa had in a congratulatory message described Wike as “a man of courage and great sagacity, an astute politician and a development expert,” noting that the award conferred on him was well-deserved.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, the Delta State Governor added “Since your emergence as governor of Rivers, you have left no stone unturned in your quest to bring unprecedented infrastructural and human capacity development in your state.

“As a politician, you have been a great voice in national and contemporary issues facing our great party and country.

“Rivers people can attest to your doggedness, commitment and steadfastness in state’s craftsmanship, which indeed earned you the sobriquet `Mr Projects’.”

But Atiku’s failure to acknowledge Wike denotes that the former vice-president may have ruled out the possibility of working with the Rivers governor toward the success of his presidential bid in 2023.

His refusal to pick Wike as his running mate for the February 25 presidential election had degenerated into the leadership crisis currently tearing the PDP apart.

Wike, who came second behind Atiku in the PDP presidential primary held in May, was one of three governors said to have been recommended by an ad hoc committee of the party raised to suggest suitable running mates for the former vice president.

But Atiku picked Okowa against the committee’s alleged preference of Wike.

The former vice president recently took a subtle swipe at Wike when he congratulated Okowa after being conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) award by President Buhari.

Atiku said in a tweet: “Today’s conferment of the National Honour on Gov Ifeanyi Okowa @IAOkowa by President Muhammadu Buhari is a testimonial that I made the right decision in tapping an achiever as my Vice-Presidential candidate for the 2023 election. On behalf of my family, our team and our supporters, I say congratulations!”