What behind the walls between Dino Malaye, Senator formerly representing Kogi West and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, seems to be crawling into the open with the former revealing how the latter allegedly making 19 calls in less than two hours, while on his belly pleading to be made the running mate to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku defeated Wike at the May 28, 2022 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and had emerged as the preferred choice of the party’s selection committee before Atiku, eventually chose Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Wike was later to fight the ticket from then till the February 25 election, when Atiku eventually lost to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was eventually decalred the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Though Wike, who had maintained that he never wanted the position of the running mate, had claimed that he was fighting the ticket because the National Chairman of the Party, Iyorchia Ayu, was also from the North, where Atiku came from and must give up the position to reflect the letters and spirit of the PDP constitution that forbids such an arrangement.
But putting a lie to the reason, which was also the mantra of the G5 Integrity group, made up of the four governors in the South and that of Benue’s North Central, and some other PDP leaders, Dino, explained that the resistance which Wike claimed he was waging on behalf of Southern Nigeria, was only an expression of his anger and determination to take his pound of flesh against Atiku for being denied the chance of running with him.
He described a particular scene on a day the Rivers governor, was anxiously waiting at the airport to with his private jet warming up to fly into Abuja for a victory lap with Atiku, called him (Dino) 19 times in two hours to find out what Atiku decided and how he was completely deflected when he was disappointed with Okowa emerging as the choice.
Dino, who made the disclosure after Wike derisively dismissed him as not a suitable candidate for the on-coming Kogi State governorship election, said: “Wike is a pretentious character, he is a liar and has he has no integrity, no iota of integrity.
“Wike was calling me when Atiku Abubakar was to announce his running mate. I have records and I printed it out and waiting for him. He called me 19 times in two hours, begging us to convince Atiku Abubakar to make him the Vice Presidential Candidate. So, when I see him lying on TV – because of the South of this Country, because of Southern Nigeria, the thing must go to South. You that were lobbying us, begging us and promising us heaven and earth to convince Atiku Abubakar to make you Vice Presidential candidate – to the extent that he was at the airport.
“He spent hours at the airport waiting for me to call him to say Atiku has picked you. He was waiting and calling me. He was calling me and my brother and friend with whom we were together at the the Senate was calling me. I gave the phone to Abdul Ningi to speak with him, I gave the phone to Senator Zamire, begging us and promising heaven and earth that Atiku should announce him.
“It was around 1pm that I told him, Oga, nobody will give you Vice President. That was when he left and then flew back to Port Harcourt. So, the man was so desperate to be Vice President. You didn’t get it, you now started a Southern agenda. I don’t believe in such unprincipled, zero integrity character like Nyesom Wike. ”
Warning Wike to steer of the Kogi issue, Dino, who warned of more revelations told his audience that the governor was actually heading to prison due to the manner he had frittered away the commonwealth of his state through massive corruption.
He said: “Already he is on his way to prison. In fact, Wike’s prison uniform will have embroidery because of the way he has stolen the resources and patrimony of the Rivers people. I am sitting down here, any other interview if it’s not what he is asked outside Kogi State and.leave Dino Melaye alone, my primary business is other people’s businesses.
“If I open my can of worms and maggots on Wike, but I am waiting for him. His territory that he is trying to practice is my own primary Constituency.”
