The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State will never get a second chance to govern the state in 2027.
Mr Wike spoke during his “thank you visit” to the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Area of the state on Friday, which was broadcast on TVC, a Lagos-based station.
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Mr Fubara, elected governor of Rivers in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress in December of last year.
Sworn in on 29 May 2023, the governor’s first tenure will elapse by 29 May 2027. There are indications that he will seek reelection, although he has yet to declare his interest.
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‘You won’t succeed’
But speaking on Friday, Mr Wike vowed that he would stop Mr Fubara from returning as governor, accusing him of reneging on the terms of the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in the wake of the political crisis in Rivers State.
“Money cannot solve this problem the governor has started. Tell the Rivers people what was discussed with the president. If you succeed with the first one that was resolved, you will not succeed with the second one,” he said.
The FCT minister suggested that, contrary to Mr Fubara’s claim, he (Wike) remains the leader in Rivers.
“There cannot be two captains in one ship. So whoever is assuring you that when you shout on your mandate that all is well, then you are wrong,” he said.
Mr Wike further accused Mr Fubara of not being a “good leader” because he allegedly failed to maintain a working relationship with local government chairpersons, members of the state assembly, and others.
“Someone who cannot relate with the local government chairmen, state assembly members, national assembly members, and other stakeholders cannot provide good leadership,” he said.
The FCT minister also responded to Mr Fubara’s New Year comment in which the governor described Mr Wike’s recent threats in the state as “political noise”.
“Somebody said a dog is barking. This dog that’s barking now barked, even when Rivers people didn’t know who the person was and the dog that barked made the person to be governor when others ran away and he’s not afraid that the same dog now is barking. I wish him good luck,” he said, apparently referring to the governor.
Mr Wike reaffirmed his total support for President Bola Tinubu and the president’s Renewed Hope agenda.
“We will do all we can to see that we give President Bola Tinubu all the total support that he requires.
‘They have no political advantage’
Mr Wike also mocked the political opponents who returned to Mr Fubara’s camp after supporting Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
Mr Fubara had, during a New Year’s banquet on Thursday, said his political associates, including prominent chieftains of the PDP, have resolved to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The Rivers governor mentioned former PDP National Chairperson, Uche Secondus, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, former Governor of Rivers, Celestine Omehia, and a former Minister of Transport, Abiye Sekibo.
Speaking on Mr Fubara’s comments, Mr Wike said the politicians “could not give Atiku 10 per cent votes” in 2023.
“So what is the political advantage? I will not call their names because you all know them,” the FCT minister said.
End of PDP faction in Rivers
A major highlight of the event on Friday was the speech by Robinson Ewor, the former factional chairperson of the PDP, who was previously loyal to Governor Fubara.
Mr Ewor announced the official handover of his faction to the Aaron Chukwuemeka-led caretaker committee, which is aligned with Mr Wike.
He declared that the PDP in Rivers State is no longer fictionalised and is now under the single leadership of the FCT minister.
Mr Ewor claimed he had been “misled” by Mr Fubara into believing Mr Wike was intimidating the governor.
“I followed Sim (Fubara) honestly believing that our minister was not fair to him.
“However, I have found the truth. If the president mediated twice and you failed to keep the terms, you cannot be trusted,” he said.
Background
In the wake of the recent political tension in Rivers, Mr Fubara has faced criticism and accusations from Mr Wike and his allies in the Rivers House of Assembly in recent times.
The FCT minister had, in late December, accused the governor of failing to honour the agreement and threatened to reveal details of the agreement reached between him and Mr Fubara during an emergency rule in the south-southern state.
However, speaking during the New Year crossover service, the governor urged residents of the state not to be troubled in the face of rising political tension.
Before now, 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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