In the midst of escalating political tensions in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has reiterated his strong personal and political connection with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, asserting that his opposition is directed towards those instigating conflict between them.
Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, referred to Fubara as a political son, despite their well-documented disagreements. In an interview with the BBC Pidgin Service, published on Saturday, Wike dismissed the notion of being in a rivalry with the suspended governor, clarifying that his true political battle is against individuals who are manipulating Fubara for their own benefit.
“That one is not a battle. He (Fubara) is my boy, he is my son. Why will I fight with him?” Wike stated.
He further elaborated, “I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they did not work for. People like Celestine Omehia, Abiye Sekibo, and Austin Okpara, they want to hijack… I have defeated them before, and I will give them the final defeat.”
Wike alleged that these political figures, whom he claimed to have previously overcome, are the driving force behind the current unrest in Rivers State, actively working to sway Governor Fubara against him.
“When you don’t defeat them, defeat them to the final stage,” he added. “Now, they are ashamed because they are being defeated. They are the ones pushing Fubara.”
The FCT Minister also confirmed a recent meeting that took place involving himself, Fubara, and several other governors, which was facilitated by President Bola Tinubu in an effort to address the ongoing crisis in Rivers.
“He (Fubara) came with some governors to meet me. The president called me and asked us to make peace,” Wike noted. “I asked him (President Tinubu), ‘How can you say I should make peace and I won’t make peace?’”
Wike expressed his willingness to embrace peace during the visit, stating, “If I don’t want peace, I won’t allow him to come to my place. We even spoke on the phone just the other day.”
He conveyed a message to Governor Fubara, emphasising that the choice for genuine reconciliation rests with him: “I told him that the yam and the knife are in his hands, so he knows where best to cut. If you want genuine peace, you can have it. If you want us to pretend, we can.”
