Wike Facilitated My Victory In Presidential Election – Tinubu Reveals

By Ayodele Oni

The President–elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said one of the factors for his victory in the February election was as a result of resilence of Governor Nyesome Wike on the emergence of a southerner as successor to President Mohammadu Buhari.

He lauded the support and principle of the Rivers state Governor during the presidential election, noting that the governor promoted unity and fairness during the election.

Wike and four other governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had dumped the Presidential candidate of their party, Atiku Abubakar, faulting his emergence which runs counter to principle of power rotation.

They insisted on the resignation of Dr Iyorcha Ayu as national chairman and replaced by a southerner.

Tinubu, who spoke during the commissioning of the Raumuokwuta/Rumuola flyover bridge in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, noted that he wouldn’t have won if not for Wike’s support.

His words: “I went through a gruesome campaign, fought hard, supported by many of you and I won. Fair and square.

“Nyesom, I say thank you for your contribution to my victory. I couldn’t have done it without some structural support as not describable in a flyover.

“In his Excellency, I see a man of principle. He took a principled stance that the Presidency must come to the South and he had the courage to stand by his own conviction not minding whose ox was gored.

“He is indeed a man of great integrity, he didn’t choose to serve his own interest, not about him but the interest of the nation. You promoted unity, you promoted fairness, you championed justice. Thank you.”

Not a few people allege that the Presidential election was brazenly compromised in Rivers State in favour of Tinubu and that victory in the State, actually, belonged to the Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi