Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied media reports of a meeting between him and the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike in France ahead of the 2023 general election.
Tinubu had recently flown to France in what his handlers said was a continuation of high-level engagements with stakeholders.
However, a chieftain of the party in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe had been quoted by a section of the media as confirming a meeting between the duo.
A die-hard loyalist of Tinubu and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on the Environment and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe disclosed this on Wednesday.
He said on his Facebook: “While they are on social media abusing everybody Governor Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate and bigotry is no strategy.
“They hated and abused PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see.”Wike had been at loggerhead with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since he lost the presidential ticket to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
But on Friday night, the Tinubu Media Office in a statement signed by Tunde Rahman said although the APC standard bearer holds Gov. Wike in high esteem, such a meeting never took place.
Atiku overlooked Wike when he chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate.
His associates and friends, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue on Tuesday said he was still praying and fasting to know if God wanted him to support Atiku or not.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has made it clear that it is Southern presidency or nothing, meaning he would not be supporting Atiku for the presidency.