My bant with Wike wrongly reported, I can't sign a dime until I'm president - Tinubu

BAT 2

President Bola Tinubu

President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said his bant with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Wednesday was wrongly reported by the media.

Wike had during the inauguration of the Rumuola- Rumuokuta flyover by Tinubu asked that the money used by the state in erecting bridges on Federal Roads be refunded by the government.

“If we had said because they are Federal Government roads, and we won’t do it. Who are those to suffer?”

Wike said since his government had said it did not want people to suffer, he also believed that the Federal Government should “say look, you have done well for us. These are projects we should be doing, can you bring your bill, let us refund you the money you have spent in doing these roads.”

According to him, that is what is supposed to be for a partnership with a good Federal Government.

“I can assure you as you enter the office and you approve to pay this money back, other states will have the courage to also do the same thing,” he said.

In replying, Tinubu said Tinubu said he owed Wike nothing, since it was the people that would benefit from the project.

“You can’t chuckle at me and make a demand. You are the one living on this road. I commend your effort. You have to lobby me to collect it,” he said.

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Most media houses went out with screaming headlines that Tinubu said he owed Wike nothing.

But during a dinner for him last night, the president-elect said what he said was wrongly reported as he was not even president yet and had no approving power.

He told Wike not to take him serious over what he said, saying that he is just president-elect until after inauguration.

According to Tinubu, he had no signatory power for any expenditure right now until he had been sworn-in as president.

“The question is, I am president-elect, I have no signature for expenditure until sworn-in. How can I make commitment?

“I cannot sign a dime of Nigeria’s money or expenditure, there can only be one president at a time. I believe in fulfilling promises,” he said.

Tinubu, however, said the unity, equity and justice in this country is a must.

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