Ex-Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision on subsidy removal, saying it is not easy to govern a country like Nigeria.

He said this in a brief interactive session with state house correspondents on Friday.

It was reported that Wike alongside Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State met with the president at Aso Rock on Friday.

While reacting to a question on the motive behind the visit, Wike said “There’s no big deal about it, the governor of Oyo has told you what we came to do; to give him support. We are supporting all the decisions he’s taking, it shows that he’s prepared for the job and there’s nothing bad about that. It requires tough decisions for a country to move forward.”

Asked he was planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said: “Don’t say that.”

Earlier, Makinde said they visited the president to tell him that he had started well and had the support of the generality of the people.

Asked if they discussed the subsidy issue, the governor of Oyo State said: “Yes, we discussed it. It’s something that is on top of public discuss right now. We know it’s a tough decision for the people and he needs the support of everybody to see this through.”

Makinde and Wike are key members of G-5, a group floated at the height of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis in the buildup to the 2023 elections.

The duo contributed to the victory of President Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 election.

Last month when he visited Rivers at the instance of Wike, Tinubu openly commended the then outgoing Rivers governor. (Daily Trust)