Phrank Shaibu, a special assistant on public communications to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has played down the impact of River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in the forthcoming presidential election.
Shaibu, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said Wike has just a vote in the presidential election.
Wike, the leader of the G-5 governors who are aggrieved with the way the PDP runs its activities, last week said the window for reconciliation was almost closing.
The G-5 governors have since been romancing with the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and that of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, while still in the PDP.
However, while speaking on the programme, Shaibu said Atiku had no personal issue with WIke, stressing that while still pursuing peace, Atiku had moved on with his campaign programmes ahead of the February election.
He said: “The interesting thing is that our campaign has moved on. We said in the beginning, it’s about Nigeria, it’s not just about the PDP.
“Atiku Abubakar does not have a personal problem with him [Wike]. I read in the media a few hours ago when he said ‘we’ve almost closed the window of negotiation with the PDP.’
“Common, you may choose to close the window but the door is still there because my candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is not a criminal. So, he does not need to pass through the window, he comes through the door.
“The issue is PDP is one big family…It’s not about Governor Wike. Governor Wike is just one governor, one member of the PDP and he has only one vote so also are the other four governors who are members of the G-5 governors.
“So, we look forward to a situation where we will all come together and if they join the train because the train is moving and we are cruising at a very good altitude, it could be a day to the election, it could be one month to the election, it could be 39 days to the election and they decide to join the team and work with the team, it’s all good and fine.”
