THE All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Kashim Shettima; the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and others on Wednesday, February 15 paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at Government House, Port Harcourt.
At the meeting, Wike urged Tinubu to prevail on the Federal Government to ensure that this year’s general election is not truncated, noting that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) disregard for the Supreme Court order on the naira swap policy should worry the APC-led Federal Government, particularly as the elections draw nearer.
According to a statement signed by the governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Tinubu was accompanied by governors Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); David Umahi (Ebony); former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, Tony Okocha and others.
Wike thanked God that the APC presidential rally in the state was devoid of violence, wondering whether the APC-led Federal Government was interested in conducting the general elections, particularly with the lingering naira swap crisis.
He stated: “Do you people really want this election to take place or not; or you have an agenda to truncate this election? I don’t know. Look at what is happening in Oyo today, Edo, and Delta? See what is going on.
“I believe your party should make sure this election holds. You people are in power, ensure that this election holds. Nobody can solve the issue of corruption in two, three months. It is not possible. This thing is purely politically motivated.”
While describing the CBN’s naira redesign policy as “anti-people,” Wike said it was unacceptable for the federal government not to comply with the ruling of the apex court on the matter, saying: “How can you people be in government at this time; governor of a Central Bank is disrespecting the Supreme Court? Where has it happened in any democracy, Governor of Central Bank thinking of whether to obey Supreme Court order? Where has it happened?”
He advised Tinubu and the national leadership of the party not to invest resources in any of the party’s candidate in the state, boasting that none of them will win any seat in the general election.
Earlier, the APC presidential candidate told Wike that the courtesy call was necessitated by his sheer regards and admiration for his advocacy that power should rotate to the South, saying he joined the race to lead the country on the philosophy of Wike that power should return to the south.
“Our courtesy call, not to personalise it, is out of the respect I have for you. You worked hard and you voiced loudly your commitment to unity and the critical part to that unity in Nigeria, you never advocated a division of our country. You followed history. You respect the country,” he said.
The visit came amid speculations that Wike was backing Tinubu’s presidential bid, following their meeting abroad in the past.
Wike, who has the support of his allies, fell out with Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the latter’s refusal to prevail on Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to step down as the party’s National Chairman.
Wike has since then refused to declare support for Atiku and boycotted the PDP presidential campaigns.
