The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that some political leaders are misleading Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, amid rising political tension in the south-southern state.
Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, disclosed this on Monday when he visited Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state.
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Following a previous political crisis in Rivers in 2025, which was triggered by a feud between Governor Fubara and Mr Wike, President Bola Tinubu brokered a second peace deal between them in June of last year.
The two politicians also reached some undisclosed agreements as part of the peace deal.
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‘Politicians misinforming Nigerians after endorsing agreement’
Speaking to his supporters during the visit on Monday, Mr Wike claimed some unnamed political leaders in Rivers were “deliberately” misinforming Nigerians about the peace deal after endorsing the agreement.
The FCT minister described the alleged “deliberate misinformation” as irresponsible and capable of destabilising the south-southern state.
“People think they can just say anything in politics and it will not matter. It matters. If it did not matter yesterday, it will matter today, and if not today, it will matter tomorrow,” he said.
He stressed that the agreement was collectively endorsed and that all parties freely appended their signatures only to return to Rivers and begin to “contradict” the same position they had earlier accepted.
Agreements must be honoured
Mr Wike insisted that the agreement reached before President Tinubu during the emergency rule last year must be honoured.
Without revealing the details of the agreement, the FCT minister claimed that Mr Fubara reneged on the agreement.
“The agreement was duly signed by key stakeholders, including a former governor of Rivers, Peter Odili, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, as well as leaders of major political parties and other top officials.
The FCT minister described Rivers as an important political force in the South-South region and urged political leaders to always speak the truth, especially on sensitive issues that affect peace and stability in the state.
He also recalled attempts by some factions to dismantle the Peoples Democratic Party’s structure in the state during a past convention, pointing out that the move failed and eventually collapsed.
Mr Wike argued that his political decisions have always been guided by principle rather than personal interest or party loyalty.
The FCT minister further praised Mr Tinubu for what he described as “unprecedented appointments” of Rivers State indigenes into key federal positions, saying the president has demonstrated sincerity and commitment by honouring agreements reached with others.
Background
There has been political tension in Rivers State due to intense exchanges between Messrs Fubara and Wike in recent times.
The exchanges were triggered by Mr Wike’s recent allegation that Mr Fubara reneged on the terms of the peace deal brokered between them by President Tinubu in June last year.
Previously, a political crisis in Rivers, triggered by the feud between Governor Fubara and Mr Wike, resulted in the declaration of emergency rule in the state by President Tinubu in March 2025.
Mr Fubara, who was suspended by Mr Tinubu for six months alongside all elected officials in the state, only returned to office in September of that year after the president declared an end to the emergency rule.
This was after President Tinubu brokered a second peace deal in June between Messrs Fubara and Wike alongside their supporters.
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