The presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has opened up on his secret meeting with the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Obi had met with the governor behind closed doors for hours at the governor’s private residence in Port Harcourt.

Though the outcome of the meeting was not known, the two politicians were seen shaking hands in front of Governor Wike’s residence in pictures online. However, both men did not speak on the purpose of the meeting, as journalists were not granted access.

Finally breaking his silence on the meeting, Obi later tweeted on Wednesday night, indicating that the meeting centred on important “issues of national interest”.

“Earlier today, I visited Port-Harcourt, to confer with H.E. @GovWike on vital issues of national interest,” Obi tweeted, but refrained from divulging details.

Obi’s visit came amidst speculations that Wike may dump the Peoples Democratic Party, due to the fallout over the presidential primary of the party and the failure of the party’s presidential standard-bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to pick the Rivers governor as his running mate for the 2023 general election.

Atiku had also set up a reconciliation committee to reach out to Wike to pacify him and to solicit his support for the party to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress at the centre.

A source said that Obi may be cashing in on the fallout to woo Wike to his party and solicit his support in his quest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wike while speaking at the PDP convention had said that he would support whoever emerged and would remain in the party. However, his mood has changed following his last-minute rejection as Atiku’s running mate and some of his supporters have already started dumping PDP.

Update news