On Wednesday, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike revealed that the Southsouth State had grown close to the Federal Government as a result of its decision to back Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president in the election scheduled for February 25.
Recall that during the election, Tinubu, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, the candidate for the Labour Party (LP).
Furthermore, Rivers State, despite being governed by a PDP administration, supported Tinubu’s victory.
In Port Harcourt, the state capital, at a meeting with 48 APC support groups and PDP governorship candidate Siminialaye Fubara, Wike claimed that the State had been severely neglected by the federal government for the previous eight years and that Tinubu’s victory had given the State new hope.
Desmond Akawo, the State PDP chairman, spoke on behalf of the Integrity Group leader and declared that Rivers State had been reconnected to the federal government. There has been war for the previous eight years.
“Rivers State has been at odds with the federal government, and we said no, this war cannot go on. Therefore, he (Wike) has reconnected Rivers to the mainstream of national governance. “.
In addition to stating once more that the Party wanted to restore power to Southern Nigeria in the interests of equity and fairness, Wike said that Rivers State should adopt zoning as well.
The following were his exact words:.
“We supported Asiwaju so that power can return to the South. We believe that in the interest of equity, the next president must be a Southerner, whether Asiwaju or Peter Obi.
“So, in that same spirit of equity, Rivers State, having elected a governor from Rivers West through Peter Odili, Rivers East through Rotimi Ameachi and Wike, we said power should go to Rivers Southeast and to riverine parts of Rivers Southeast, since all the governors have been from the upland.
“So, in the next 72hours, Rivers State will elect the youngest governor in Nigeria, in the person of Sim Fubara, for a better succession plan. Lagos State is succeeding because it has a better succession plan, from Asiwaju to Babatunde Fashola to the incumbent governor of Lagos State. Sim is a man who understands Rivers State.
The leader of APC in Rivers State and Coordinator of the Tinubu/Fubara Support Groups, Tony Okocha, said the APC support groups will vote for Fubara, to reciprocate Wike’s support for Tinubu during the presidential poll.
He added:.
“On the 25th of February while some APC members were working against our presidential candidate, the PDP in Rivers State supported Asiwaju. So, we have come to pay back because one good turn deserves another. So, on March 18, we will be coming out in our numbers to reciprpcate his kind gesture by voting PDP candidtae, Sim Fubara, as governor of Rivers State.
“In Rivers State, we want to chart a new course as a vanguard, and that new course is that we will be voting PDP candidtae, Sim Fubara, as governor of Rivers State. ”.
