Rivers: Wike Backtracks, Denies Support For Tinubu

Embattled and seemingly confused Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has denied he is supporting the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the Presidential election scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2023.

This is the first time Wike is denying the story which has been in the streets for sometime, and which he helped give wings to fly by his actions and utterances.

Wike and four other Governors whose Leader he is, have been at loggerheads  with the leadership of his Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The disagreement which factionalised the Party, with Wike’s Group holding the short end of the stick, began when Wike lost the Party’s Presidential Primary to Atiku Abubakar and also lost the Vice Presidential slot, which he desperately desired after his loss to Atiku. The PDP candidate preferred the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to Wike.

Wike and Group who go by the name, G5, and later, Integrity Group, hold the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu responsible for his losses, and the Group vowed never to participate in any Party activities, including the Presidential Campaign. As a condition to participate, they asked that Ayu must step down from office in favour of a Southerner for what they called equity.

All appeals to them fell on deaf ears, all meetings, in vain. Instead, the Governors – Wike, Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde, Oyo – embarked on a vigorous demarketing of the PDP and its Presidential Candidate. Wike’s, in particular, was very bad.

They let it be known that they would never support Atiku, with Wike promising Atiku would fail, he would “pepper” him, and that PDP would cry. Wike has done  everything to frustrate Atiku’s Campaign in Rivers State, including, arresting and prosecuting and persecuting any PDP member loyal to Atiku and the National Leadership of the Party. The climax was his  abortion of the Presidential Campaign Rally in Porthacourt by making the environment uncomfortable for it to hold.

He promised, in December of 2022, that he would make public to Rivers people, his preferred Presidential Candidate in January 2023.

Three days to the Presidential election, he has failed to do so. But his utterances and actions in the past three weeks point to the fact that he is supporting the Candidate of the APC,  Tinubu. When the story made the rounds that he had instructed members of his Cabinet and National and State Assembly members, Chairmen and Ward Leaders to mobilise all supporters and vote Tinubu, he did not deny it.

Instead  he indirectly affirmed it by giving, free of charge, the APC PCC, the venue for the Party’s Presidential Rally. He received Tinubu and entourage warmly at the Government House, and was full of praises for the APC Candidate. He also praised the APC Governors who championed the zoning of the Presidential office to the South.

But, a few days to the election, feelers are that Wike is realising that he “over-did it”, and so, worried about his political future.

The first sign came when he ran to the Federal Court, Abuja, to save him from being suspended or expelled from the Party. Second, at a Rally a couple of days ago, he begged Rivers people to save his political career by not voting for those who would jail or kill him. And now, he has suddenly denied supporting Tinubu.

His Chief of Staff, Chukwumaeze Woke, denied that the Governor  directed his supporters to vote for Tinubu.

“Wike never told Rivers people to vote for Tinubu because of his political relevance,” Woke said.

He spoke on a radio programme  Wednesday, and dismissed the reports as false. He described Wike as a beautiful bride, being courted by many politicians in the country who value his competence and capacity.

The Chief of Staff said the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, has been sending emissaries to his principal to beg for his support.

Governor Wike will leave office on May 29, 2023. For now, depending on who wins the Presidential election, his political future seems to hang in the balance.