The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has stated that power was not given freely to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who he said worked hard to get it. contrary to the impression being held by many people.
Wike stated this on Wednesday at a banquet in honour of Tinubu who was in Rivers State to commission some of the governor’s legacy projects.
He recounted how Tinubu gifted him a white wine in the early hours of the day when he visited him at his Lagos residence in 2018 to persuade him to support one of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2019 presidential election.
He said: ‘I went to him, I said, sir, I heard you can’t find your feet in APC. Why not join us and support one of these our candidates to win the 2019 election? He asked me, who are these your candidates? I mentioned them, [and] he said, look, if it’s these ones you’ve, I’ll support Buhari 200 times.
‘He [Tinubu] gave me white wine that early morning. And I respected him. I know he is prepared. Nobody dash him power. All of us, we saw it. He went and worked for the power, and you will see the benefits of it. When they dash you power, you slack; but when you fight for power, you work.’
Tinubu had earlier appreciated Governor Wike for contributing to his victory during the elections.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Tinubu, who spoke on Wednesday, while commissioning the Rumuokwuta/Rumuola flyover in Port Harcourt, explained that Wike’s stand that the presidency must return to the Southern part of the country was part of the factor that played key roles in ensuring that his victory became reality.
The President-elect described Wike as a man of integrity who abandoned his personal interest for the interest of the nation.
According to the former Lagos governor, despite the rumours and speculation peddled against him during the electioneering season, Wike stood by his conviction.