Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has finally opened up that he wanted Siminalayi Fubara to be kicked out as a governor but not happy with the Presidential Proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by the president. The minister made this statement this afternoon Friday 18thth April, 2025 during a media parley in Abuja.
Recall, last month, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, precisely one month ago, citing persistent political turmoil that was making the state ungovernable and recent security threats, including pipeline explosions.
The president in one move suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the House of the state house of Assembly for six months. Describing the move as “inevitably compelling” based on security reports.
Subsequently, Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibas as sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs pending resolution of the crisis — a decision that has sparked widespread debate across the country amongst political analysts and lawyers.
However, speaking during the Friday media parley, Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers who is also the god-father of the suspended governor said, what he wanted was the outright removal of Fubara as the governor.
According to Wike, the governor’s position was already indefensible before the president stepped in.
He said: “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers state. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state.
“The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the president did this, I say they should be praising him. Every morning, they should go to the president and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads since Fubara became governor shortly after swearing-in to the office.
The face-off between the two stems from a struggle for state political and structural control of resources.
The crack that also affected the state House of Assembly, where 27 members loyal to Wike dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) were suspended and later reinstated by the court.
Consequently, the conflict that led to the emergence of factional speaker and a parallel state assembly both jostling to wield power in the state.
