A former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has berated the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, for declaring a public holiday and shutting down businesses in the state over the visit of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

Sani lambasted Wike, saying the governor’s action was a sign of “desperation for favours.”

Wike had, in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday, declared Wednesday, May 3, as a public holiday to enable residents of the state to come out en masse to welcome Tinubu to the state.

The Rivers governor also ordered that all shops and business premises on the Rumuola to Rumuokwuta roads in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state should be closed from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday.

He directed labour unions and security agencies to ensure compliance with the closure order.

Sani, however, in a post posted to his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday, condemned Wike’s action, while asking the president-elect to discourage such actions so that it would not become a norm.

Sani wrote, “Commissioning a project is a mark of a great achievement. Kudos. But grounding the economic, social & educational activities of the state for that purpose is a mark of desperation for favours & accommodation by a lickspittle. Tinubu can say no to that or else it becomes the norm.”