Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has described Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), as the hero of the February 25 election.
Wike, who spoke on Saturday during an interactive session with some trade associations in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said had Obi not contested the election, the north would have retained presidential power.
The governor said contrary to insinuations that he did not support Obi, the former Anambra governor remains his hero.
He added that even though Obi was not declared the winner of the poll, he will be remembered for fighting well.
“Obi is my hero. If Obi did not contest, power would have gone back to the north. The whole of south-south and south-east that PDP lost, if Obi did not contest PDP, they would have won,” Wike said.
“The hero in this election is Obi whether you like it or not. I am not here to please you. Obi is the hero. He may not have been pronounced as the winner, no problem, the law will take its course. If Obi did not run this election, power would have remained in the north. Whether he is declared a winner now or not, history will be on his side that he fought and fought well.”
Wike further said the reason why he did not publicly declare support for any presidential candidate was that the G-5 governors had unanimously agreed to ensure the emergence of a president from southern Nigeria to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
