Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu has vowed that his administration has resolved not to marginalise any part of the country contrary to the widespread speculations that he will run a sectional government.
The former Lagos State governor who spoke yesterday at the commissioning of the Raumuokwuta/Rumuola flyover bridge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, promised that his administration would leave legacy projects across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
This is as he commended Governor Nyesom Wike for standing for justice and insisting that it was turn of the south to produce a president after Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu, who is an All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, described Wike, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, as a dependable ally. He said Wike’s principled stand for a southern president led to his victory on February 25.
He was declared winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1 and is expected to take the oath of office on the 29th of May.
Tinubu told the crowd he went through a ‘gruesome campaign, fought hard and won.’
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He said 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.
‘Your Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike, you are very dependable,’ he said.
‘Nyesom, I say thank-you for your contribution to my victory. I couldn’t have done it without some structural support. 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, in deed, 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 gossips 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 the partnership.