Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has named Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate in the 2023 general election.

He announced his choice of running mate on Thursday at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja.

He said he reached his decision after wide consultations with party stalwarts.

He said it was a difficult decision for him for to make considering the quality of those that were recommended.

Sources close to the former vice-president had told TheCable that Atiku would rather pick Okowa — not Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers — as his running mate.

The national working committee (NWC) of the PDP had on Wednesday endorsed Wike as Atiku’s running mate.

The NWC members voted 13-3 to endorse the report of the stakeholders’ panel which had earlier nominated Wike for the VP ticket.

But it was learnt Atiku was not comfortable with the choice of Wike as his running mate.