Wike Blames ‘External Forces’ For Opposing Fubara’s Second-Term Bid*

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has blamed “external forces” for his decision to oppose the second-term ambition of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Speaking on Tuesday during his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike said some individuals sought to make him politically irrelevant in Rivers through the governor.

The FCT minister served as Rivers governor from 2015 to 2023 and was widely reported to have played a key role in Fubara’s emergence as his successor.

However, shortly after Fubara was sworn in, their relationship deteriorated, triggering a prolonged political crisis that polarised the state’s political landscape.

The crisis saw lawmakers loyal to Wike initiate impeachment proceedings against Fubara on multiple occasions. The tensions eventually led to President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers.

Both camps later reached a truce after Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Although Fubara was initially screened alongside Kingsley Chinda, an ally of the minister, for the APC governorship primary, he later withdrew. He said the decision was made out of conviction and in the interest of peace and unity in Rivers.

*“External Forces Wanted To Hijack Rivers”*

During the media chat, Wike alleged that some individuals who initially opposed Fubara’s emergence later became close to him to undermine his political allies.

“Let me tell you, there was a time we all thought and agreed that we should allow bygones to be bygones. But something fundamental came up,” he said.

“We all met and said, ‘Listen, if we allow this guy now, there are those who are here who want to see that we are no longer politically relevant. There are also external forces who want to hijack Rivers state. Should we allow them to hijack Rivers state?’”

“There are those who see Rivers state as a cash cow. I can tell you so many things happened.”

The minister, who did not mention names, said some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, were among those involved in the crisis.

“There are people, even some senior advocates of Nigeria, whom you would never believe could play that kind of role. They were virtually living with us in government. But overnight, they somersaulted and started giving the governor wrong advice,” Wike said.

“They said, ‘Don’t worry, the law says this.’ The law didn’t say that. They were sending them aircraft, and they were relaxing on the jet, thinking they had achieved something. But we said no. This cash cow must end now.”

“That’s why you have to be careful. Those who didn’t want you to be governor now became your friends. Obviously, they will destroy you, thinking that coming closer to you is to fight us.”

*“Fubara Is The Biggest Loser”*

Wike said he believed Fubara was the biggest loser from the political crisis, insisting that he had nothing to lose.

“At the end of the fight, I have not lost anything. What have I lost? Nothing. But you have lost because your intention was to go for a second term, and you are not going,” he said.

The minister, however, said his opposition to Fubara’s second-term ambition was borne out of concern.

“Those of us who love him, that’s why we feel so bad. If I don’t love him, would I support him? That’s the point I’m making,” he said.

On Saturday, Wike declared an end to the protracted political feud with Fubara. He called on supporters of both camps to embrace peace, unity and reconciliation, saying the state had been the biggest loser in the supremacy battle.