Former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has chosen Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Okowa was chosen from the ranks of serving governors and credentialed politicians in the South-East and South-South regions.
The Delta Governor was made the ultimate nominee after a fierce contest with Governor Nyesom Wike of Delta. The choice was believed to be in the best interest of the party as it seeks a return to power next year.
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Mr Abubakar’s allies said he picked Mr Okowa because he promised to run a campaign based strictly on issues critical to Nigerians, and Mr Wike might derail that approach with his combative nature.
The candidate was also keen on having a running mate to bridge the enthusiasm gap between the South-South and South-East, The Gazette learnt from insiders. Mr Wike had been selected as the preferred nominee two days ago by a panel of PDP governors and politicians.
