Tinubu Offered Senatorial Ticket to Wike? Rivers Governor Opens Up
- Governor Nyesom Wike has disowned the media reports stating that he said APC presidential candidate offered him a senatorial ticket
- The Rivers state governor, through his media aide, said the reports claiming he made such a statement were “baseless”
- Wike's media aide Ebiri also shared a transcript of the media parley where the governor made a comment about senatorial form
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Port Harcourt, Rivers state - Governor Nyesom Wike has refuted reports suggesting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu offered him a senatorial ticket to defect to the party after losing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential primary poll.
Media reports had claimed that Governor Wike made the comment during a media chat on Friday, September 23.
Source: Facebook
However, the governor’s media aide Kelvin Ebiri in a statement on Saturday, September 24, said the stories are “baseless”.
He said:
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“We wish to state emphatically that this news is false, baseless, and ludicrous as the Rivers State governor throughout the media chat never mentioned the name of the APC presidential candidate or alluded to him offering him a senatorial ticket."
Ebiri also shared a transcript of the media parley where the governor made a comment about senatorial form as thus:
“’First of all, this is how you know those who are prepared to run an election. Some of them collected presidential forms and at the same time collected senatorial forms. You’ll know that those people are not serious to run.
“’I never collected senatorial form. Even after the whole thing, people said come and go for Senate, I said no. I won’t do that. I’ve already made a commitment that this Senate ticket should be zoned to this area (Etche) because they’ve never had it before. I must not be in power.’”
He added that “in an era of the increasingly divisive political climate, the tendency to pervert the truth is extremely high. It is on this basis that we wish to remind journalists that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
“At this critical juncture in our nation, we wish to remind journalists that getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism. Journalists are enjoined to always strive for accuracy and give all the relevant facts in their reports. We, therefore, urge the unsuspecting public not to give any credence to these false, baseless, and ill-motivated reports.”
Reactions trail Wike's statement
Benedict Jackreece commented on Facebook:
"If Gov Wike wanted the Senatorial Ticket he would have gotten it in PDP without stress."
Nelson Omoregie said:
"Leadership is inherent in you sir. Unlike the MoU governor we have in Edo state who thinks forcing himself on the people undemocratically is what makes a true leader. Carry go governor Nyesom Wike! We're solidly behind you."
Paulinus O Otozi said:
"But Wike said it with his mouth during the interview, I listened to it live."
Osita Edekobi said:
"You're a man of your words and man enough. I like your disposition especially this time around. Keep it up dear Governor."
Suzor Louis said:
"How can Tinubu offer Wike what he could have easily gotten and can still get even after office as a governor ??
"I just think there is too much alcohol in the Nigerian system and so people just drink and talk anyhow without thinking."
Wike reveals how Ayu worked against his emergence as PDP presidential candidate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Wike alleged the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, worked against his emergence as the presidential candidate of the party.
The governor said this during a media chat on Friday, September 23.
The Rivers state governor alleged that Ayu called many presidential aspirants to withdraw for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who eventually won the PDP's ticket.
Source: Legit.ng
