The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the battle for political control of Rivers State has effectively been won by his political structure, while extending an olive branch to former allies and opponents to return to what he described as a united political family.
Mr Wike, who made the remarks during a political luncheon in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Saturday, also warned individuals outside Rivers State against interfering in the state’s political affairs, insisting that any attempt to undermine its political stability would be resisted.
|
|
His comments were contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Deputy Director of Press in the Office of the Minister, Rabi Umar.
The former Rivers governor spoke against the backdrop of the prolonged political crisis that engulfed the state and led to a bitter fallout between him and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.
|
|
|
|---|
Prolonged feud and political realignment in Rivers
The political confrontation between Messrs Wike and Fubara has been widely described as a struggle for control of Rivers State’s political and financial architecture, escalating from an informal succession arrangement into a deep and sustained power contest.
The dispute, which began shortly after Mr Fubara assumed office in 2023, was rooted in disagreements over control of political appointments, access to state resources, and influence over the state’s governing party structure.
What initially appeared as a transition under a shared political understanding quickly degenerated into a full-blown crisis.
As tensions escalated, the Rivers State House of Assembly became a major battleground, splitting into rival factions. One bloc remained aligned with Mr Wike’s political network, while another group backed the governor, deepening institutional paralysis and political uncertainty within the state.
The legislative crisis later triggered a wave of legal and political interventions, including court rulings affirming the legitimacy of lawmakers aligned with Mr Wike’s camp. The development further tilted the balance of power in favour of his structure, intensifying pressure on the governor’s administration.
At the peak of the crisis, impeachment proceedings were also initiated against Mr Fubara and his deputy by the faction of the Assembly aligned with the Wike political bloc, on allegations of gross misconduct, further inflaming tensions across the state.
President Bola Tinubu eventually declared a state of emergency in the state, suspending Mr Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and all elected lawmakers of the state House of Assembly for a period of six months.
The crisis have consistently been traced to competing interpretations of loyalty and authority within the political arrangement that produced the Fubara administration, with Mr Wike accusing his successor of distancing himself from the political structure that backed his emergence, while Mr Fubara has maintained the need for administrative independence in governing the state.
Amid the prolonged political standoff and tightening control of the party structure by Mr Wike’s camp, Mr Fubara eventually withdrew from the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries.
He claimed that his withdrawal was a voluntary political sacrifice aimed at reducing tensions and preventing further destabilisation of the state’s political environment ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
He was quoted as saying “the decision was not borne out of fear or weakness, but a deliberate step to preserve peace, stability, and unity within Rivers State’s political space.”
“Governorship race is gone” — Wike
Speaking at the Port Harcourt event, Mr Wike maintained that his political structure remains firmly in control of Rivers politics, insisting that the governorship contest is no longer open to speculation.
“If you are talking about the governorship election in this state, forget it, it’s gone. If you are thinking that any miracle will happen to overturn, to pull the rug off us, it’s a lie,” he said.
The minister attributed the political strength of his camp to what he described as a broad-based “rainbow coalition” that has continued to command support across Rivers State.
He assured supporters that the structure remained vigilant and prepared for any political challenge.
Extends olive branch
Despite his confidence in the political dominance of his camp, Mr Wike adopted a conciliatory tone, announcing that he had forgiven all those who had opposed him during the political crisis.
He urged former allies and political associates who left the fold during the dispute to return and contribute to the development of the state.
“I use this opportunity today to announce that I have forgiven everybody,” he said.
The minister stressed that prolonged political hostility would not benefit Rivers people and called for reconciliation among all factions.
“I want you to come back home sincerely. We have played politics, we have abused ourselves, this is the right time for you to come back,” he said, adding “We are very over-alerted anytime, any day. We’ll take you back, we’ll work with everybody. We are not selfish,” he said.
His remarks are seen as one of the strongest public signals yet of a possible consolidation of peace efforts within the Rivers political family after months of intense political disagreements.
Warning to external actors
Mr Wike, however, drew a line against what he described as interference by political actors from outside Rivers State.
Without mentioning any individual or group, he warned that those attempting to influence or destabilise the state’s political environment would face stiff resistance.
“Anybody from another state who is trying to destroy Rivers State, the person will have problems. You put your hand, you get fire,” he warned.
The former governor insisted that Rivers people should be allowed to determine their political future without external manipulation.
Tinubu’s third anniversary
Beyond the Rivers political situation, Mr Wike used the occasion to highlight what he described as major infrastructural achievements recorded in the Federal Capital Territory under his leadership.
He announced that the FCT Administration would embark on a 31-day project commissioning programme to commemorate the third anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in office.
According to him, the commissioning will feature major road projects, public infrastructure, urban renewal initiatives and other landmark developments across Abuja.
He said the projects were made possible through the support and vision of President Tinubu, whom he credited for providing the leadership required to transform the nation’s capital.
“This third year of Mr President alone, we are taking 31 days for commissioning of projects in Abuja. I’m not talking about boreholes. I challenge anybody to contradict this,” he said.
The minister maintained that the scale of infrastructure development currently taking place in the FCT was unprecedented and challenged critics and opposition figures to match the achievements recorded by his administration.
He noted that the projects serve as evidence of purposeful governance and demonstrate the impact of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure and public services in the capital city.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
