A former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has offered reason why the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was not chosen as the running mate of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar.
The ex-Governor spoke on this and other developments in the polity on Tuesday in an interview with Channels Television.
Aliyu said: “You do not go around choosing people that will not compliment you.
“You choose people who will compliment your office.
“People that are ready to take over from you and will make you comfortable.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know if it is his temperament.
“Sometimes when you speak too much.
“When you insult your way to power, it does not always happen.
“I can count many people who he has insulted.
“People will say he is always speaking his mind.
“But there are times you don’t need to speak your mind.”
Aliyu also said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, does not stand a good chance of winning the election.
He said Obi, who left the PDP for the Labour Party, was at some point being considered again as the running mate of Abubakar for the 2023 presidential poll.
The former two-term Governor of Anambra State was the running mate of the former Vice President in the 2019 elections.
Aliyu said: “Peter Obi is my good friend and a former member of my former Governors Forum.
“A very excellent person.
“His candidature, in terms of the presidency, I think he will make some name now.
“But he may be able to make it only in 2027, 2031.
“But 2023 is too early.
“Even though the young people might go for him, the name is not dropping everywhere else.
“I doubt if Nigerians are ready for him now as a presidential person.
“I would have loved him as a vice president.
“Many of us were rooting for him to be vice president to Atiku again.”