Wike has declared a public holiday in the state because of the president-elect's visit.
Nigeria's President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, has described himself as "a happy man," saying he went through a "gruesome" presidential election campaign and won "fair and square" with the support of the people.
Mr Tinubu stated this on Wednesday in Port Harcourt while commissioning a Flyover in the state.
He hailed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for supporting a power shift to the southern part of the country in the just concluded presidential election.
Mr Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after falling out with his party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had thrown his weight behind Mr Tinubu.
Mr Tinubu, who became the first opposition party presidential candidate to win in Rivers State, a traditional PDP state since the return of democracy in 1999, acknowledged Mr Wike's contributions to his victory.
"I see a man of principle. He (Mr Wike) took a principled stand that the Presidency must return to the South and he has the courage to stand by his conviction not minding whose ox is gored.
"He is indeed a man of great integrity; he did not choose to serve his own interest, not about him. Rather, the interest of the nation. You promoted unity, you promoted fairness, you championed justice. Thank you.
"Nyesom, I say thank you for your contribution to my victory. I couldn't have done it without some structural support," Mr Tinubu said.
Mr Wike had declared Wednesday a public holiday, calling on the people of the state to come out en masse to offer the visiting President-Elect a rousing welcome.
Like Mr Tinubu, Governor Wike had also aspired for the president of the country but lost at the PDP primary to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
After he lost at the primary, Mr Wike led a group of PDP governors to rebel against his party and its presidential candidate, claiming that they (five PDP governors) were in support of a power shift to the south.
Their argument was that since outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari is from the north, his successor should come from the south.
