Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State claimed that Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, is a man that is “desperately” needed in Nigeria in a statement that could easily be construed as an endorsement.
Mr. Wike called Mr. Tinubu a “men of courage and character.”
This was said by him on Wednesday at Government House in Port Harcourt when he was hosting Mr. Tinubu, who had come to see him soon after the state’s APC presidential rally.
The governor’s spokesperson, Kelvin Ebiri, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to reports, the governor told Mr. Tinubu, “I wish you good luck.” “I endorse the G5’s commitment to the principles of justice, equity, and fairness (for). G5 does not represent anyone.
The governors of Kebbi, Lagos, and Ebonyi were all part of Mr. Tinubu’s trip to the governor, along with his running partner Kashim Shettima, Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the APC, and Abubakar Bagudu.
Others were Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum, and Kayode Fayemi, the former governor of Ekiti State.
Governor Wike warned the APC leadership not to spend its resources on the APC candidates in the state, despite his apparent endorsement of Mr. Tinubu, saying they would not succeed in winning even a single position in the general elections.
This development occurs just after the Rivers APC chapter accused Mr. Wike of attempting to enter the party covertly.
The APC in the state accused Mr. Wike of covertly requesting that his political appointees canvass votes for the APC presidential candidate throughout the state.
Similar accusations have been made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers.
Mr. Wike, a PDP member, was one of the 12 candidates for president of the party who lost to Atiku Abubakar in May of last year during the party’s presidential primary election.
Since that time, Mr. Wike has spearheaded a rebellion inside the PDP against Mr. Atiku and the party’s national leadership that includes four other governors.
In order to establish “regional balance,” the G5, which Mr. Wike and the other governors formed, have been calling for Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman, to quit.
The PDP presidential candidate’s supporters have been severely attacked in the state, causing the party to cancel their presidential campaign event there. Mr. Wike also promised that Mr. Atiku would not win the 25 February presidential election in Rivers.
After keeping Nigerians guessing about who he would probably back in the upcoming presidential election, Mr. Wike’s apparent endorsement of Mr. Tinubu is seen as a letdown.
Chris Finebone, the state’s commissioner for information, said last week that he couldn’t confirm or deny the assertion that Governor Wike had ordered political appointees in the state to canvass votes for Mr. Tinubu.
Little guys in Rivers APC and their allies are incapable of comprehending Governor Wike’s high-wire politics. Thus, the several ludicrous hypotheses. The governor always has an advantage over them and holds all the cards, he remarked.
“Governor Wike and I are still steadfast PDP members. Losing sleep over our presidential election shouldn’t be their concern, but if they’d decided to do so, that’s their prerogative, he continued.
