In what could be an endorsement, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is someone who is “desperately” needed in Nigeria.
Mr. Wike described Mr. Tinubu as a man of “character and courage”.
He stated this on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when he received Mr. Tinubu, who visited him shortly after the APC presidential rally in the state.
Kelvin Ebiri, the governor’s spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
“I wish you success,” the governor told Mr. Tinubu. “I support the principles of justice, equality and fairness and this is what the G5 stands for. The G5 does not stand for anyone.
In Mr. Tinubu’s delegation to the governorship were his running mate, Kashim Shettima; The National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, and the governors of Kebbi, Abubakar Bagudu, Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Ebonyi, David Umahi.
Others are the former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.
Despite the apparent endorsement of Mr. Tinubu, Governor Wike advised APC leaders not to invest resources in APC candidates in the state, warning that they will not win a single position in the general election.
This development will come days after the Rivers chapter of the APC accused Mr. Wike of making moves to merge the party through a backdoor.
The APC in the state accused Mr. Wike of wisely asking political officials to count votes across the state for the APC presidential candidate.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers has made similar allegations.
Back to the story
Mr. Wike, a member of the PDP, was among the 12 party presidential candidates who were defeated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the party’s presidential primaries in May last year.
Mr. Wike has since led four other PDP governors in internal rebellion against Mr. Atiku and the PDP national leadership.
The G5, formed by Mr. Wike and other governors, has demanded the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to pave the way for a southerner to lead the PDP to achieve “regional balance”.
In addition to Mr. Wike vowing that Mr. Atiku will not win the February 25 presidential election in Rivers, supporters of the PDP presidential candidate have been violently attacked in the state, forcing the party to cancel its presidential campaign rally in the state.
Mr. Wike’s apparent endorsement of Mr. Tinubu is considered an anti-climax after the Rivers governor kept Nigerians guessing who is likely to support him in the upcoming presidential election.
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Chris Finebone, told PREMIUM TIMES last week that he could neither confirm nor deny claims that Governor Wike had directed political officials in the state to vote for Mr. Tinubu.
“Governor Wike’s high-wire politics is beyond the infantile understanding of small things in Rivers APC and its collaborators. Thus, various wild conjectures. The governor holds (all) aces and is always ahead,” he said.
“Governor Wike and all of us remain solid members of the PDP. Losing sleep over who we are going to elect as president is not on his mind, but if he has elected, that will be it,” he said.
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