2023: Tinubu offered me Senatorial ticket, says Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), offered him a senatorial slot.

Daily Trust had reported how Tinubu and Wike met in London last month, amid the crisis rocking the opposition party.

• London parleys: Diplomats, others lash at Wike, Tinubu, Atiku, others
• 2023: We met Tinubu, Atiku, Obi but Consultation not over – Wike

After the meeting with Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had flown to UK, where he also had a meeting with Wike.

However, Atiku’s meeting did not calm frayed nerves as Wike and his allies insisted that Senator Iyioricha Ayu had to resign as National Chairman of the party for peace to reign.

Some of those who lost the presidential ticket of the PDP like Wike have accused the governor of being a bad loser.

But responding in a live TV programme on Friday, Wike said, “I didn’t contest so I can become a vice presidential candidate, I am not like others who were not serious and bought senatorial form alongside presidential form and that’s why when Tinubu offered me senate slot, I didn’t go for it. If I want power or want to be in power, I would have gone ahead to take the senatorial ticket. But I said no. That is a man who believes in equity, fairness, and justice. So the analysis does not rhyme at all.

“Aside from Tinubu, who is from the APC, other political parties are talking to me as well including Labour Party because they all know my worth and how I can ensure that they win the 2023 poll. But I have not accepted any of the offers presented by those parties.”

Wike also alleged that Ayu is eying the Secretary to Government of the Federation position should the party win the 2023 presidential election.

“If Nigerians hear a lot of things going on now in the party that wants to take over the reign of power they will shake their heads,” Wike said.

“You see when we talked about Ayu, it seems people don’t know what is involved. Ayu wants to be in power. So that he will be there and if we (PDP) win; he wants the Secretary to the Government of the Federation position. You know these positions have been shared and then they are talking to ‘small boys’ like us to play along like we don’t know what is going on.

“I can tell you that because most of you don’t know what is going in the party. Somebody has been given the senate president position. And do you think I will sit here on national television to tell you things I don’t know? It is just because of confidentiality and certain things that we cannot say them here.”