The president-elect, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday said that he couldn’t have won the presidential election without the support of the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Raumuokwuta/Rumuola flyover bridge in Port Harcourt, the capital of the state, on Wednesday, Tinubu said the structural support given by Wike played a significant role in his victory at the polls.
He said he won the presidential election “fair and square,” adding that he went through a difficult campaign but eventually emerged victorious.
“I went through a gruesome campaign, fought hard, was supported by many of you, and I won. Fair and square. Nyesom, I say thank you for your contribution to my victory,” he said.
“I couldn’t have done it without some structural support you gave me, which I can’t repay in my honoring of your invitation to commission this flyover.
“In his excellency, I see a man of principle. He took a principled stance that the presidency must come to the South, and he had the courage to stand by his own conviction, not minding whose ox is gored.
“He is indeed a man of great integrity; he didn’t choose to serve his own interest, not about him but the interest of the nation. You promoted unity, you promoted fairness, and you championed justice. Thank you.”
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Tinubu said he honored the invitation for the inauguration because of Wike’s strength of character.
“My invitation to commission this project today is another way of building bridges, which cannot be overstated in Nigeria.”
“It is on the strength of your character that I stand to fulfill the promise I made to you during the campaign,” Tinubu said.
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 “partnership.”
On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu the winner of the February 25 presidential election with a total of 8,794,726 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar had the second-highest figure with 6,984,520 votes, while the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obiwas next with 6,101,533 votes.
The two runners-up have since taken the matter to court, challenging the victory of the former Lagos governor through judicial measures, while their supporters engage in unending media tussles.
Barring all unforeseen circumstances, Tinubu would be sworn in as the next Nigerian president on May 29, the exit date for President Mohammadu Buhari, who has run for two terms of eight years in office.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
