By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo
Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, expressing a preference for the outright removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Friday, Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, acknowledged the president’s decision as necessary to prevent further unrest but said it fell short of his expectations.
“As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State.
I wanted the outright removal of the governor,” Wike stated.
“But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy.”
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers last month, citing ongoing political instability and recent security threats, including pipeline explosions.
The proclamation led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state’s House of Assembly for six months.
In their place, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed as sole administrator to oversee the state’s governance until the crisis is resolved.
The decision has sparked widespread debate and legal challenges, with the matter currently in court.
Wike, who has been embroiled in a prolonged political feud with Fubara, criticised the embattled governor, saying, “The governor was gone. It is not on 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 play.”
The rift between the two leaders has deeply fractured the political landscape in Rivers, with 27 members of the House of Assembly suspended and defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The conflict has further escalated into the emergence of parallel legislative factions and competing speakers, complicating efforts to stabilise governance in the state.
