2023: Political realignment likely as Obi meets Wike, Mimiko, others in Rivers

With the internal crisis eating deeper into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pitting some governors of the party against the leadership and the Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, some other parties seem to have begun moves to harvest from the internal political impasse.

In the last one week, many chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives, had visited Port Harcourt to commission some projects completed by the Governor Nyesom Wike administration.

Read also: Nigerians on Obi, Wike, others meeting: ‘Third force becoming reality’

The latest visit by Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has set off conversation on the social media, with the permutation by Nigerians that Wike may be “porting” to Obi’s party with his team of aggrieved PDP chieftains.

Among those being suspected to have something up their sleeves in that regard are Governors Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Oyo, Benue, Abia and Enugu respectively.

The basis for the permutation is predicated on the disposition of the affore-mentioned politicians and others towards the party since the emergence of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as the PDP vice presidential candidate, a selection, the process of which did not go down well with many party faithful, which also has deepened the internal rancour in the umbrella organisation.

Since he declared his intention to run for the presidency, Peter Obi has become a serious brand in the country, particularly on the social media, which is believed would shape the 2023 general election.

The Labour Party candidate has continued to tour round the country making consultations. He has met with some important personalities more than once.

He had visited the Governor Wike two months ago. He also had a meeting with Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo State, on Thursday, August 11, 2022.

It was also the consultation that took him to Port Harcourt for the Monday night meeting.
Among those he met with at the residence of the Rivers State governor in Port Harcourt were Wike, Mimiko, Ikpeazu, Ortom, Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, and Ibrahim Dankwambo, a former of Gombe State.

The details of the meeting were not made known to the press, fuelling insinuation that it must be something in connection with 2023 and a possible alliance.