Three governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday, paid a surprise visit to Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The governors are Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).
They arrived Port Harcourt in the afternoon and met Wike in his Rumueprikon country home.
In a video that went viral, Wike was seen walking straight to the vehicle that brought the visitors to receive them and exchanging pleasantries with them.
The host governor was visibly effervescent as he welcomed his guests throwing banters and laughing out.
Akeredolu was heard repeatedly shouting Wike’s name while Fayemi jokingly asked: “Why did you bring cameras here?”
Soon, Wike ushered his august visitors into a private room, shut the doors against cameras and other inquisitive persons.
Joining in the meeting was a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayosr and Wike’s pal, Senator Olaka Nwogu.
After about 30 minutes, the doors were opened and Wike and his visitors came out smiling and laughing.
The visitors refused to disclose their mission as they quickly boarded and left for the airport.
There were, however, indications that the APC governors were in Rivers to lobby their colleague ahead of the general election.
A PDP chieftain, who spoke in confidence, said the APC governors could not have lobbied Wike to leave the PDP, knowing that all the parties have chosen their candidates for next year’s election.
“The discussion may have centred around the presidential election, project Nigeria beyond party lines and the need for the Rivers State governor to support their quest for a sSuthern President.
“They may have reminded Wike of the collective decision of the Southern governors in all their meetings before the primaries and insisted that it is only just and equitable that power should return to the South.
“They believe that in the spirits of brotherliness, Wike should support the APC, which has provided a southern candidate. We don’t know what the governor’s reaction is but time will tell,” he said.
Speaking on the visit, a PDP chieftain and former Commissioner for Information, Ogbonna Nwuke, said the development is an indication that Wike has become Nigeria’s property.
He said: “It simply means that Wike is Nigeria’s property. He has become somebody respected and somebody whose views are understood. He is somebody when he says I am fighting with you he is on your side.
“Those APC governors simply came here to say, ‘we appreciate who you are, we understand what your mission is and we want to have a conversation. What the purpose of the conversation is, is not what we know at this time.
“But it is clear that they understand the fact that the Nigerian nation needs Wike and that if we are talking about the survival of Nigeria we must go beyond party and we must go beyond ethnicity and we must talk to people, who believe in the Nigerian project.
“They have the right to lobby Wike. But I have understanding of who governor Wike is. Governor Wike said: ‘I am going nowhere’ and I hope that those who are busy peddling information in the PDP that Wike is about to leave, will change that line of thought.”