Tinubu Hails Wike, ‘You Are Very Dependable, You Championed Justice’

President-Elect, Bola Tinubu has expressed appreciation to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for his contribution to his victory at the February 25th presidential election.

Tinubu appreciated Wike on Wednesday when he inaugurated the Rumuokwuta/Rumuola Road Flyover in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The president-elect was in Rivers state at the instance of Wike who had supported the power shift to the southern region of Nigeria during the presidential election.

Tinubu and Wike belong to different political parties. While the former Lagos governor belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wike is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the leader of the G5 governors who refused to support their party man, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP for president.

The G5 governors all of PDP —Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Wike (Rivers) demanded the resignation of the former national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu as a condition to throw their weight behind Atiku.

“Your Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike, you are very dependable,” Tinubu said at the occasion which was well-attended by APC stalwarts.

According to Tinubu, he went through a “gruesome campaign, fought hard, and won”.

He argued that he could not have achieved victory against major opponents like PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi without structural support from people like Wike.

“Nyesom, I say thank you for your contribution to my victory. I couldn’t have done it without some structural support,” said Tinubu who would be sworn in as Nigeria’s President on May 29, 2023.

“In His Excellency, I see a man of principle. He (Wike) took a principled stand that the Presidency must return to the South and he has the courage to stand by his conviction not minding whose ox is gored.

“He is indeed a man of great integrity; he did not choose to serve his own interest, not about him. Rather, the interest of the nation. You promoted unity, you promoted fairness, you championed justice. Thank you.

“There were so much gossip and speculations but you stood your ground.”

Tinubu expressed delight to have established a relationship with the Rivers governor and congratulated Wike’s ally and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was also at the function, for “partnership”.

Tinubu was in Rivers alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila as well as the governors of Jigawa, Ebonyi, Kwara, and Imo, amongst others. Some former governors of the APC were also in attendance.

The President-Elect thanked Wike for declaring Wednesday as a holiday in honour of his visit to the South-South state.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja for London on Wednesday to attend the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as His Majesty, The King, and Her Majesty The Queen Consort of the United Kingdom respectively.