Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rejected the widely reported opinion that he caused political instability in Rivers State under his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of the state.
In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Wike claimed his battle was not with Fubara, but with “dishonest and manipulative politicians” pushing the governor against him.
“That one is not a battle. He (Fubara) is my boy; he is my son; why will I fight with him? I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they did not work for,” he said.
“When you don’t defeat them; they will think you… so, defeat them to the end. Now, they are ashamed because they are being defeated. They are the ones pushing Fubara.”
Wike and Fubara have been locked in a political rift since 2023, over control of the party structure of the state and resource control, a development that plunged Rivers into a protracted crisis.
The crisis led President Bola Tinubu to suspend Fubara for six months after declaring emergency rule in the state.
The president subsequently appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, as sole administrator for Rivers.
After his appointment, Ibas suspended all political officeholders appointed by Fubara.
