Running Mate: Atiku Points Out Governor Samuel Ortom’s Lies

<h4>Running Mate&colon; Atiku Points Out Governor Samuel Ortom’s Lies<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that following the crises that arose from the People’s Democratic Party &comma;PDP&comma; primary in which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who became the candidate of the party and picked Senator Ifeanyi Okowa&comma; Delta State governor as running mate&comma; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said efforts are ongoing to resolve the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party&comma; PDP&comma; ahead of the 2023 elections&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Ortom said the PDP presidential candidate&comma; Atiku Abubakar reached out to him to pacify Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He expressed hope that Wike would be pacified and work with Atiku towards ensuring the party returns to power in 2023&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking with Arise TV on Thursday&comma; the governor explained his relationship with Wike&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He said&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Efforts are on to resolve the crisis in the party&period; Our presidential candidate has reached out to me to pacify Wike&period; Wike stood with me at my worst time when my state was under siege&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I believe working with Wike will help get a better result&period; Once Wike is pacified&comma; I will also be pacified&period; The issue is not about our personal interests but about Nigeria&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Earlier&comma; Governor Sam Ortom of Benue State accused party leadership and the presidential flag bearer of disrespecting the first runners-up in the PDP presidential primary&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking in a live interview with Arise Television&comma; the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;thisdaylive&period;com&sol;">Benue Governor<&sol;a> who chaired the committee set up by Atiku to help him arrive at a suitable running mate&comma; revealed that rather than go to Wike in person&comma; Atiku and the party leadership were trying to talk to him over the phone&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He recalled that 14 out of the 17 members of the committee had recommended Wike for the position of vice-presidential candidate but the recommendation was jettisoned by Atiku in favour of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;However&comma; early Friday on Arise TV&comma; Atiku Abubakar said Governor Sam Ortom lied&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He explained that they only recommended three names and that no vote was taken to get Wike as PDP Vice Presidential candidate&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote; I did not go out of the recommendation&comma;” he satted adding that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We are talking with Wike and very soon&comma; there will be peace in PDP&comma;” he assured&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;