Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has praised Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, for supporting the restoration of electricity in southern Nigeria at the cost of his bid for the Senate.
In spite of Ortom’s double loss at the gubernatorial and senatorial elections in Benue, Wike claimed Ortom is the true the winner of the elections on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Government Secondary School Kpor in the Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
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In the run-up to the general elections in 2023, Ortom and other disgruntled governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) requested that the leadership switch from the north to the south. Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi are additional G5 leaders.
Wike addressed Ortom as a sibling and promised him that the people of Rivers State would always be by his side. He also said that history would be kind to him. Wike praised Ortom for supporting the transfer of power to the south and added that his choice had caused some detractors to band together against the governor of Benue.
“You may think you have lost, but you didn’t lose, you are the winner,” Wike said.
“Let me thank you for standing firm that the presidency should go to the South, you paid for it but history will be with you.
“When the time came for people to stand up, for Nigeria to be united, you came out and said ‘Yes, I’m from this zone yet for equity and fairness, it will be for the unity of this country if the presidency is zoned to the South’.
“We will be wherever you are, we will give you every support that you require from Rivers State. Because of your fight, people stood up and fought you. Yes, you lost your Senate, but you made it clear in leadership. God will continue to bless, and guide you.”