BY IKECHUKWU AGADA
Governors Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu of Rivers, Oyo and Abia States respectively have resolved to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the upcoming presidential election, 9news Nigeria can authoritatively confirm.
In return, Tinubu will make the APC governorship candidates in the three states sacrifice their bids for the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Also part of the deal is that the APC governorship candidates will be rewarded with ministerial portfolios after Tinubu is inaugurated as president.
Key associates of the APC presidential candidate told 9news Nigeria that Tinubu and Wike had their political deal sealed and that “there’s nothing anybody can do to change that.”
One Tinubu associate said the APC presidential candidate was happy with Wike for sticking to the terms of agreement. He was quick to add that the deal had effectively left the immediate past Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaech “in the cold.”
He described the deal with Tinubu as the reason for the “intransigence” of Governors Wike, Ikpeazu and Makinde to all the peace moves initiated by the PDP. Noted the APC chieftain, “Even a new-born baby knows that it is not feasible to ask Ayu to leave at this time. Wike, Makinde and Ikpeazu know this, yet they’re pushing for Ayu”s removal. Mark my words, they’ll keep the pressure on until the general elections.
The Tinubu I know will not disappoint them.” Wike and Makinde have been calling for the ouster of the PDP national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, on the ground that the party’s national chairman, chairman of her board of trustees, as well as the presidential candidate cannot all come from the same north.
Even at that, the Wike group didn’t appear impressed. At the weekend, Governor Makinde publicly slammed his party- the PDP for failing to restructure – euphemism for Ayu’s removal. “If PDP cannot restructure,” he noted, “then they cannot restructure Nigeria.
9news Nigeria could not confirm if Governor Samuel Ortom was still with Wike given that he had in recent weeks softened his stance on Ayu, his tribesman. On August 22, Tinubu and Wike reportedly met in London. Details of the London meeting weren’t made public, but several APC chieftains, including a former National Welfare Secretary of the party, Kabir Masari swore that the meeting was in connection with 2023.
Earlier, on July 8, three APC governors, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State visited Wike in Port Harcourt, as part of moves to woo him. A former governor of Ekiti State and Tinubu supporter, Ayo Fayose, also graced the meeting.
9news Nigeria
