APC Sources Claim Tinubu/Wike Meeting Held In UK, Not France

… Lagos, Ekiti Govs Attended

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, met with the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in the United Kingdom and not France as reported by some news platforms, sources in the Tinubu/Kashim Presidential Campaign Council has confirmed to THE WHISTLER.

Pleading not to be quoted, he told our Correspondent on Tuesday that earlier reports of Tinubu meeting Wike, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and their counterpart from Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, was false and inaccurate.

A report in one of the papers had claimed that Wike met Tinubu in Paris, France.

One of the reports quoted a source as saying, “This explains why both Governor Nyesom Wike, who is a leading member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu were both absent at the opening of the ongoing NBA conference in Lagos.”

The report further quoted the source as saying, “This meeting is a confirmation that the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, even before the 2022 presidential primaries of the PDP, has been working underground for the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu.

“This move is a clear indication that the Governor Wike-led group has been deceiving the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in fruitless reconciliation meetings, but has already decided to play the ‘spoiler game’ by destroying the party from within, frustrate the chances of the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar or when the push comes to shove, move en mass to the APC or Labour Party when the PDP least expected.

“It is important to note here that, part of Governor Wike’s plan ahead of the 2023 general elections, is to use the former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko and other surrogates in Katsina, Kebbi, Cross River, Kano and other states to destabilise the campaigns of the PDP, especially the chances of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar,” it was reported.

However, pictures being circulated on social media showed Wike, Makinde, Ortom and Ikpeazu met with ace musician, Davido with insinuations that the picture was taken today in France. THE WHISTLER could not immediately verify the location of the picture.

But one of the campaign spokesmen of Tinubu/Shettima campaign revealed to our Correspondent that, “Off record; no meeting in France. It was in London. APC governors Fayemi and Sanwo-Olu were also at the meeting on Monday.”

He explained why Tinubu was not at the NBA meeting which had raised alot of dust saying, “You now know he has a reason to be absent at NBA meeting?”

However, another highly placed member of the APC, who has been tipped to be elected into the Presidential Campaign also revealed that regardless of the deluge of media campaign against “Asiwaju, he is doing a lot of underground consultation and wooing that will shock Nigerians.

“You know he’s an experienced politician, he doesn’t talk much but expect shock.

“He’s in the UK as part of that and the meeting has started,” he said.

Wike fell out with the PDP after the conclusion of the presidential primary election and selection of the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party.

The governor was miffed that he was not only overlooked to be the party’s presidential running mate but was treated with disrespect by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with what the govenor claimed included series of lies against his person.

Atiku settled for Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

While there are rumours that Wike may eventual pitch tent with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, the Tinubu camp said the “offer from Tinubu is too big for Wike and his camp to ignore or reject.”

The Wike camp which has been described as “formidable” include Ortom, Makinde, Ikpeazu, former Ondo State Governor, Segun Mimiko, former Governor of Cross State, Donald Duke, former Information Minister, Jerry Gana, and serving and former senators as well as former Ministers across the country.

Wike controls the PDP structure in Cross River, Edo, Kogi, Kano, Benue, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa and some other states, a development the Tinubu camp is more than ready to welcome, and relish it will greatly boost the former governor of Lagos State’s chances in next year’s election.