Running mate: Wike won’t be disappointed ― Okowa

The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has dismissed fears that not picking his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, for the slot could pose a problem for the party going forward.

He gave the assurance while speaking to correspondents shortly after being screened for the position at the national Secretariat of the party in Abuja, on Thursday.

He had been asked what message he had for the Rivers governor following his failure to clinch the slot despite being the favourite.

According to Okowa, Wike is strong party man who will not be disappointed because he realizes that one person had to emerge at a point in time in a contest among brothers.

He said: “I know that Governor Wike is a very strong party man. He has great love for our party and I believe that Governor Wike is also a good democrat. He understands that when several brothers are in the race for a particular position, it has to be one person at a point in time.

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“But I want to assure you that Governor Wike is a very good man and his interest for this country and the party to be able to rise up to the challenge at the moment is strong and I do not feel that he is going to be disappointed.”

Also speaking to reporters, the chairman of the PDP Vice Presidential Screening Committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, said Okowa was selected as the running mate to the presidential candidate because he is “intelligent, physically fit and level-headed.”

In his remarks, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said the Okowa was screened because of the need to guard against the Bayelsa State experience where the lack of qualification led to invalidating of the governorship ticket.

He revealed that the party will also screen deputy governorship candidates of the party next week.