TheCable

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is backing Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), for the country’s highest office, TheCable understands.

The former president is said to have asked Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, to throw his weight behind the presidential bid of Obi.

Obasanjo is said to have made the request at a meeting he held with the Rivers governor in London on Thursday.

“Obasanjo wants a southerner to be president but does not think Bola Tinubu is the best option,” a source privy to the meeting said.

“The former president has also asked Wike and his supporters to back Obi.”

In the last few days, Wike has been sought after by Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Obasanjo on behalf of Obi.

On Tuesday, TheCable reported that Wike and Tinubu met in France to explore the possibility of the Rivers governor working for the ruling party at the polls in February 2023.

Ibrahim Masari, who was a placeholder for the vice-presidential position of the APC, expressed optimism that the Rivers governor would work for the ruling party.

“The meeting was basically on the 2023 presidential election and, by God’s grace, we are going to work with governor Nyesom Wike, he will assist and we are going to win the election with ease, by the will of God,” the politician had said.

In a last-ditch effort, Abubakar embarked on a trip to London on Wednesday in an attempt to get Wike on his good side.

A crisis has rocked the main opposition party since it held its presidential primary election in May.

Atiku clinched the party’s ticket after the dramatic withdrawal of Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, from the race. Tambuwal had asked his supporters to support the former vice-president.

The crisis in the party escalated after Atiku chose Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate. Party stakeholders expressed concerns that Abubakar ignored Wike.