2023: Atiku, meets Wike, after Peter Obi, Obasanjo, Ikpeazu, Duke, Makinde, Ortom, others hold meeting in London

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has met with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The duo met over dinner at the park lane Carlton Hotel in London on Thursday.

Also in attendance were Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, among others.

Although details of the meeting have not been made public, it is not unrelated to the proposed reconciliation between the two and resolution of the crisis in the opposition party.

Mr Wike had earlier met with former president Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, also in London.

The Rivers governor had met with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in London on Wednesday.

The governor’s meeting with Atiku comes amid calls for reconciliation of the two PDP chieftains. Mr Wike has been at loggerheads with the presidential candidate after losing the party’s presidential ticket to the former vice president at the primary in May.

His grievances increased when Atiku ignored him to pick Ifeanyi Okowa, the Delta State governor, as Atiku’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

Both men would later resolve to constitute committees from both sides, to meet, and resolve the crisis.

While the first planned meeting between members of the two committees did not hold due to failure to settle for a location, the second meeting, which was held last week, was deadlocked and some party chieftains also pleaded with the governor not to leave the PDP.

Part of Mr Wike’s demands to support Atiku and the party in 2023 is the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, as well as some members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

It is not clear if he is still insisting on those demands.

However, with his frequent meetings with chieftains of other parties, there are growing fears that he might be considering leaving the PDP.

Earlier, Atiku cautioned members and supporters of the party to desist from making comments that could jeopardise efforts being made to broker peace.

He assured that all the party leaders, including Mr Wike, are working towards achieving victory for the party in 2023.