Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State has recalled how the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar asked for President Goodluck Jonathan to relinquish the ticket of the party in 2015.
Wike said Jonathan had pleaded with former Vice-President to support his re-election bid in 2015 but Atiku rejected his entreaties.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Akpabu-Itu-Umudiogha road in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers on Tuesday, Wike said Jonathan travelled to the Dorchester Hotel in London in 2015 to meet Atiku but rather, the former VP “embarrassed” Jonathan and told him to relinquish his ticket to him.
He said, “We forget history. In 2015 when Jonathan as a sitting President, I am not talking as a presidential candidate but as a sitting President, when he had won his primary, Jonathan went to London to Dorchester Hotel, he went to plead with Atiku Abubakar to come back to the party and support him.
“You know the condition he (Atiku) gave Jonathan? He should relinquish his ticket not to run as the President of Nigeria. That was the presidential candidate of a ruling party. He gave him a condition, telling him to relinquish that ticket.
“Today, we are not saying the presidential candidate should relinquish his ticket; we are not being selfish, we are saying since you are now the presidential candidate, let our people take chairmanship.”
