“I Have Enormous Respect For Tinubu, I Will Never Malign Him” – Wike Declares

Eniola Adeniyi

Governor Nyesom Wike has declared he has enormous respect for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and will never malign him.

The Rivers State Governor made this declaration in a statement released today, Friday, February 5, 2020, by Kelvin Ebiri, the Special Assistant on Media.

The Statement was issued in reaction to a report titled “Tinubu cannot see presidency gate in 2023, says Wike ” ublished by a national newspaper.

The statement by Wike described the report as “preposterous, fabricated, malicious and intended to inflame relationship between Governor Wike and Chief Tinubu, whom the Rivers Chief Executive holds in high esteem.”.

The statement further explained that “We wish to state without equivocation, that irrespective of political affiliation, Governor Wike has enormous respect for Chief Tinubu and will never say or do anything to malign the hard earned reputation of the elder statesman.”

Providing a background to events that resulted in the publication by the National Newspaper, the Governor narated”We wish to affirm that it is true that Governor Wike was in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State on February 4, to inspect some projects being executed by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. And while inspecting the Greater Interchange and Underpass in Yola , some journalists requested for an interview which he graciously obliged them.

“The questions asked ranged from the purpose of his visit; the prospects of the Peoples Democratic Party winning the 2023 general election and Nigeria’s rating in the global corruption index recently published by Transparency International.

At no time during the interview session that lasted about five minutes did Governor Wike mention the names of Chief Tinubu and the APC’s former national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, or even alluded to them.”