In what could very well pass as an endorsement, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a man that is “desperately” needed in Nigeria.
Wike described Tinubu as a man with “character and courage”.
He stated this on Wednesday at Government House, Port Harcourt, while receiving Mr Tinubu, who visited him shortly after the APC presidential rally in the state.
Kelvin Ebiri, the spokesperson to the governor, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
“I wish you good luck,” the governor was quoted as saying to Tinubu. “I support the principle of fairness, equity and justice and that is what G5 stands (for). G5 does not stand for anybody.”
In Tinubu’s delegation to the governor were his running mate, Kashim Shettima; the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and the governors of Kebbi, Abubakar Bagudu, Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Ebonyi, David Umahi.
Others were the former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.
Despite his seeming endorsement of Tinubu, Governor Wike advised the APC leadership not to invest its resources in the APC candidates in the state, warning that they would not win a single position in the general elections.
This development is coming a few days after the Rivers chapter of the APC accused Wike of making moves to join the party through the backdoor.
The APC in the state accused Wike of discreetly asking his political appointees to canvass votes across the state for the APC presidential candidate.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers has made a similar allegation
Wike, a member of the PDP, was among the 12 presidential aspirants of the party who were defeated by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the party’s presidential primary election in May last year.
