FRIDAY April 18, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he preferred the outright removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, rather than the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.
Wike made the revelation during a live media parley in Abuja on Friday, where he also took aim at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the party is unprepared to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
While addressing journalists, the former Rivers governor expressed dissatisfaction with the state of emergency declared in Rivers last month by President Tinubu. The president had cited ongoing political instability, rising security concerns, and recent pipeline explosions as reasons for the action, which included the six-month suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“As a politician, I am not happy with the state of emergency,” Wike said. “I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”
He added that the decision, though not his preferred outcome, was necessary to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. “But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy,” he noted.
The president appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator to steer the affairs of the state for an initial period of six months, a move that has sparked widespread debate across political and civil society circles.
Wike, who has been at loggerheads with Fubara since the latter assumed office, said the governor has made no effort to reach out or resolve their differences. “Has he ever called me as an elder to say what is the problem? Let us sit down and talk?” Wike asked. “If I am the cause of the problem… has anybody taken it upon himself or herself to say, ‘this is where we are?’”
He argued that the political crisis, which has already led to the emergence of factional speakers and a parallel assembly in Rivers State, could have been avoided if certain truths were acknowledged. “The matter is in court but people must say the truth. The governor was gone. It is not in my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable and that is why there is power plane.”
On national politics, Wike also used the platform to criticise the PDP’s preparedness for the 2027 elections, describing the party’s current efforts as performative and lacking in strategic direction.
“The PDP is not ready for the 2027 election. It is very obvious,” he said. “For instance, I have an examination and I am going to class to read. Indeed, am I reading? Am I studying? You don’t need to deceive anybody that you are reading. You are only trying to read so that people will see that you have carried your bag to class.”
He added that internal power struggles have weakened the PDP’s ability to function as a strong opposition party. “That is the situation of the PDP. So, they cannot say for sure that they are ready for 2027. Power struggle cannot help the party,” he warned.
