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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that he had pushed for the complete removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, amid the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, Wike didn’t hold back his frustration, stating that President Bola Tinubu's declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers effectively saved Governor Fubara from being ousted.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the state of emergency in Rivers state,” Wike said. “I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”
According to Wike, Fubara was already on his way out before the President’s last-minute intervention. “The governor 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?’”
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Wike also expressed disappointment over what he sees as Fubara’s silence and lack of communication amid the escalating political drama. “Has he ever called me as an elder to say what is the problem? Let us sit down and talk,” he asked rhetorically.
President Tinubu’s decision included suspending Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers House of Assembly, while appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to administer the state for an initial six-month period.
Wike maintained that the president’s action prevented a full-blown breakdown of order in the oil-rich state.