•Rivers has already decided for Tinubu – Wike
President Bola Tinubu has challenged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to tell Nigerians how he was able to build a private university while he was the Vice President of Nigeria.
Tinubu threw the challenge while speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during his presidential campaign rally. He insisted that Atiku used the efforts and money of Nigerians to build his university.
He said: “To every salary earner, there is a dependent and somebody sharing the food at home. Those people talking of hunger are talking about the mess they created. Atiku was one of them. Ask him how he built a university while in office as Vice President in charge of our economy.
“Who built the university for him? It’s your money; it’s your effort. He is a man without moral integrity and ethics for the office.”
The president stressed that those now complaining about hunger in the country were the architects of the hardship they are lamenting.
Tinubu maintained that his administration is working to clean up the mess inherited from previous governments.
He also described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as a developmental partner of his administration.
He said: “Today, I have many of you, Rivers people, in government working so hard, particularly Wike. Wike is already a development partner of Tinubu’s administration.
“He is doing a wonderful job, committed, very hardworking, a man with vision and combines that with mission. Help thank him for me for his contribution to the infrastructural development of our country.”
The rally, which drew a massive crowd of supporters from across Rivers State, was attended by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, top APC leaders and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that Rivers State has already concluded to vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Wike spoke yesterday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta, in Ikwerre Local Government Area, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt.
Welcoming Tinubu to the stadium, Wike said the venue has a sitting capacity of “40,000, not 20,000, not 16,000, not 10,000”, and stressed that the crowd was mobilised solely from Rivers State.
“This is Rivers State rally. We did not mobilise anybody from any other state,” Wike said.
He recalled that when Tinubu came to campaign in 2022 and 2023, he used the Yakubu Gowon Stadium at Elekahia in Port Harcourt City, but today he is using the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“Your Excellency, you can see with your eyes that there’s nothing to say other than Rivers State has already concluded, has already agreed, come 16th of January they will vote for you,” Wike said.
The former Rivers governor took a swipe at the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying he had boasted on a television programme that he does not need to campaign because he is very popular.
“Let it be on record that the vice-presidential candidate of ADC has told the world that he does not need to campaign in Rivers State. Let it not be tomorrow now he said he campaigned and the election was rigged. He did not campaign and nobody is going to vote for him,” Wike said.
He also recalled Tinubu’s definition of brotherhood in 2023, that a brother is a man who identifies with you in your problem, and that brotherhood in politics has nothing to do with blood relationship.
“Now, who is our brother? Our brother is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because he has identified with people of Rivers State,” Wike declared, as the crowd chorused in agreement.
According to Wike, Tinubu has completed the Port Harcourt-Bodo-Bonny Road, established a Federal University of Environment in Ogoni, and given Rivers people no fewer than 47 political appointments since the inception of democracy in 1999.
“Rivers people have never had it this way,” he said.
Wike said the APC is not relenting but campaigning every day, and challenged the ADC vice presidential candidate to come and give account of how he “fumigated” Rivers State against mosquitoes.
“Has the mosquito gone? Is the mosquito not biting you?” he asked, drawing laughter from the crowd.
