1st July, 2022
A viral report that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike left Turkey for France to meet the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been deleted by the original source.
The report was credited to the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on the Environment and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe, who made the claim in a Facebook post on Thursday.
He said on Facebook: “While they are on Social Media abusing everybody Gov Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate and bigotry are no strategy.
“They hated and abused PMB since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see.”
Moments after the post went viral, Igbokwe deleted it, as he was challenged by some social media users to present pictorial evidence that the meeting took place.
There has been no official confirmation of the meeting from both the Tinubu and Wike’s camps.
Wike and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia are currently holidaying in Turkey, while Tinubu left Nigeria on 27 June to France.
The rumoured meeting between Wike and Tinubu titillated political buffs amid speculations that Wike has not been happy with the PDP since he lost the presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar.
He was also overlooked for the vice-presidential ticket, which went to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Wike’s associate and friend, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue added to the political soap opera when he said on Arise TV he was still praying and fasting to know if God wanted him to support Atiku or not.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has made it clear that it is southern presidency or nothing, meaning he would not be supporting Atiku for the presidency.