The Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has revealed how the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, allegedly begged him to ensure Atiku Abubakar picked him as his running mate.

After losing the party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, Wike refused to work with the party’s candidate, saying the embattled chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, should step aside.

Wike, in collaboration with the other four governors, had insisted that they would not allow the candidate of the party and the PDP chairman to be northerners.

But Dino Melaye said Wike was only fighting Atiku because the latter chose Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate despite entreaties from Wike.

Melaye alleged that Wike called him about 19 times in two hours, appealing to him to convince Atiku to announce him as the vice presidential candidate.

He added that the refusal of the former Vice President to yield to Wike’s request brought about the plot against him in the just concluded February 25 presidential election.

Melaye was reacting to a comment by Wike that the former senator would never be the governor of Kogi State.

Speaking in an interview on AIT, Melaye said: “Wike has no iota of integrity." Wike was calling me when Atiku Abubakar was to announce his running mate. I have records, and I’m going to print them out. I’m waiting for him. He called me 19 times in two hours, begging us to convince Atiku Abubakar to make him the vice presidential candidate.

“He was at the airport. I have the video. He spent hours in the airport waiting for me to tell him that Atiku Abubakar had picked him as his running mate. He was at the airport here, waiting, calling me. I have witnesses. He was begging, promising heaven and earth that Atiku should announce him. It was around 1 or so when I called him that: Oga, nobody go give you vice president. That’s when he left and flew back.