Running Mate: Wike, 2 others to face PDP screening today

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party will on Thursday (today) screen nominees for the vice-presidential position.

A chieftain of the party, who confided in one of our correspondents on Wednesday, said contrary to reports, three candidates were shortlisted for the position, not one as reported by some newspapers.

 

According to him, those shortlisted include Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

 

This came to the fore on Wednesday as supporters of Okowa and Wike disagreed over the party’s VP slot.

There were reports on Wednesday that a committee headed by the PDP Deputy Chairman, Ambassador Umaru Damagun, had on Tuesday nominated Wike as the running mate of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar when 13 out of the 17 members voted in favour of the Rivers State governor.

The PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagbathat maintained that the nomination of Wike remained a rumour.

He stated, “The party is going through its processes. When it comes in a name, it will be announced. We don’t rely on rumour, we don’t work on that, in the next couple of hours or probably just before the expiration of the time, we will come out with a position and the name will be announced.”

But a member of the PDP advisory committee disclosed to one of our correspondents on Wednesday that three names were recommended by the panel.

According to the source, the three aspirants who were recommended would face the screening committee of the party before the party’s final decision would be made known to the public.

The source said, “The matter is not in the hands of Atiku yet, When the committee members are done with their job, they will report back to the leadership of the party.

“That committee recommended three people, not just one as is currently being speculated in the media.”

PUNCH