2023: Wike Is Supporting Tinubu, Makinde Has No Choice Too – Bayo Onanuga

The Director of Media and Communication for the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga has confirmed that the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike is supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Bola Tinubu.

Naija News reports that Onanuga’s confirmation comes amidst speculation about the presidential candidate Wike would declare support for.

Onanuga submitted that Wike might not openly announce as he and the G5 have threatened to in time past, but following his recent statement, one can identify that he has picked his preferred presidential candidate.

The APC scribe told The Punch that Wike has a presidential candidate already and he has instructed all his followers to support Tinubu who is has picked as his candidate.

Onanuga while speaking on Wike’s promise to announce his preferred candidate for the presidential election said “If you have been following his statements and addresses at every occasion he has attended, you would know that he has done that.

“Wike has a candidate already, and he has also instructed his followers who to support. He may not have to make a formal announcement, but Wike is supporting our candidate, Bola Tinubu.”

Similarly, Onanuga said the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, who is also a member of the G5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no choice but to follow suit.

According to him, if Makinde is serious about retaining his governorship seat for the second term, then he doesn’t have much of a choice but to support the APC flag bearer.

“Makinde has no option other than to support Asiwaju if he is serious about coming back for a second term,” Onanuga added.

The G5 governors led by Wike are the five aggrieved PDP governors who have refused to work for their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

They have insisted that the PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu must resign for a candidate of southern extraction.

They have however insisted that their fight was for a just course of unity, equity and fairness because they believed in the power rotation.

However, despite the fact that Wike has not openly declared the name of the candidate he has picked to support, in recent times he has insisted that the people of his state would vote for the party that supports unity and not one that doesn’t respect other’s interests.

The governor has insisted that the judgement of the announcement of his preferred candidate would be made on election day.

Meanwhile, Naija News learnt that Atiku has said Wike was a coward because he can not openly declare support for Tinubu his opponent.

In a statement on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications Phrank Shaibu, the PDP candidate said Tinubu cannot win even at Wike’s polling unit 7, ward 9 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

He said, “Even the dead know that the APC can never win in Rivers State. Wike cannot deliver his polling unit to Tinubu. He is aware of this and that is why he is not bold enough to come out with his full chest to ask the people of the state to vote for Bola Tinubu. Rather, he is chasing shadows, making innuendos.

“At least Rotimi Amaechi was man enough to dump the PDP and defect to the APC in 2015, and openly campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari against his kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan. This is what real men do when they have the conviction. Wike said he would announce his preferred candidate in January 2023. Three weeks have since passed but he is not man enough to do so.”