The gulf between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike deepened at the weekend.
The governor’s camp alleged that the former vice president was playing “a divide and rule” in the opposition party.
The governor’s supporters alleged that Atiku has started by-passing Wike and reaching out to other prominent Rivers PDP chieftains in a bid to isolate the governor ahead of next year’s polls.
To check the contacts being established by the presidential candidate, the governor has tightened his grip on the Rivers chapter.
Also, Wike has not extended invitation to PDP national leaders for the commissioning of projects across the state this week, despite inviting All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders for the ceremonies.
While Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was invited to inaugurate the Orochiri-Worukwo flyover, a former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, is expected in the state tomorrow for the inauguration of the Ogbum-Nu-Abali Eastern Bypass dualised road.
Other invitees are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who will inaugurate the House of Assembly quarters on Friday and Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor of Ondo State, who will commission the dualised Azikiwe Illoabuchi Road.
Yesterday, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi paid a visit to Wike in Port Harcourt for a partisan discussion.
The discussion focused on 2023 and the need for political leaders in the South to unite despite their party affiliations and ensure power shift to the South, it was learnt.
Party sources said the visits to Wike by APC governors have unsettled the PDP national leadership.
Efforts to get Atiku’s reaction were futile. A text message to his media aide, Paul Ibe, was not replied.
However, the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, said efforts were being made to resolve the Atiku/Wike rift.
There were indications that the bad blood created by the PDP national leadership and Atiku during the process that led to the emergence of Atiku’s running mate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, was far from over.
Sources said Atiku’s utterances and body language that he could win the next election without Wike and Rivers are infuriating to the governor’s camp.