The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has revealed how the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, allegedly begged him to ensure Atiku Abubakar picked him as his running mate.
Recalls that Governor Wike after losing the party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, refused to work with the party’s candidate, saying the embattled chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, should step aside.
In collaboration with other four governors, Wike had insisted that they would not allow the candidate of the party and the PDP chairman to be northerners. But, Dino Melaye said Wike was only fighting Atiku because the latter chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, as his running mate despite entreaties from Wike.
Dino Melaye alleged that Governor Wike called him about 19 times in two hours, appealing to him to convince Atiku to announce him as the vice presidential candidate, adding that the refusal of the former Vice President to yield to Wike’s request brought about the plot against him in the just concluded February 25 presidential election.
Dino Melaye who is the Kogi PDP governorship aspirant was reacting to a comment by Wike that the former senator would never be the governor of Kogi State. Speaking in an interview on AIT, Melaye said: “Wike has no iota of integrity. Wike was calling me when Atiku Abubakar was to announce his running mate. I have records and I’m going to print them out. I’m waiting for him. He called me 19 times in two hours, begging us to convince Atiku Abubakar to make him the vice presidential candidate. “He was at the airport. I have the video. He spent hours in the airport waiting for me to call him that Atiku Abubakar has picked him as the running mate. He was at the airport here waiting, calling me. I have witnesses. He was begging, promising heaven and earth that Atiku should announce him. It was around 1 or so that I called him that, Oga, nobody go give you vice president. That’s when he left and flew back.”