After weeks of speculation and moves shrouded in secrecy, former vice presidential placeholder for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, yesterday, confirmed that the much-talked about pact between Tinubu and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike was true and real. Masari disclosed that the two men agreed to work together without Wike necessarily leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Masari spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa Service from London, where the talks between the APC presidential candidate and the Rivers State governor, allegedly, took place.
He said Wike would work for the emergence of the APC candidate as president in next year’s election, but did not need to defect to the party.
Masari explained that the kind of understanding Tinubu and Wike had was such that would not affect the place of former governor of the state and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.
Masari, while affirming that the arrangement with Wike would not affect the APC leader in Rivers State, Amaechi, said, “The meeting was basically on the 2023 presidential election and, by God’s grace, we are going to work with His Excellency, Governor Nyeson Wike; he will assist and we are going to win the election with ease, by the will of God.”
On whether Wike would defect to APC to work for Tinubu, Masari said, “This is because Wike is a big politician, a governor and has control in some other states apart from his state. He is good to the people and has associated with his people peacefully. By the grace of God, he will be of help to us.”
Addressing the finality of the working agreement, given the equal desire by the Atiku Abubakar camp to make peace with the Rivers State governor, Masari said, ”Well, only God knows what would happen next. But what we are seeing now, what has transpired is that we are going to work with Wike and he will be useful to us.
“If you could remember, it was APC that caused the failure of APC in Bauchi; it was members of the party that led to the defeat of the governor from their own party. In Adamawa, too. So, what I want people to understand, someone can still assist you even without joining your party if he wants to.
“Furthermore, with the widespread acceptance of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Nigerians, I can assure you, by the will of God, he is going to win the election, with or without help. But there is the Hausa adage, which says even if you’re beautiful, you should add to it by taking bath. So, it’s not only about Wike, we are also talking with many other governors.”
Masari also spoke on the effect of the Tinubu, Wike agreement on the political structure of APC in Rivers State, with Amaechi as leader. He said the political alliance with Wike would not side-line Amaechi and other APC members in the state.
”Nobody will do anything that will hurt Rotimi Amaechi. He is a party member; a formidable member of the APC,” Masari said.