Former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has openly sided with the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly in its battle against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting he will not intervene to stop the lawmakers from taking action against the governor.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving/Civic Reception organized by Ijaw stakeholders in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Wike unleashed a scathing attack on Fubara, accusing him of surrounding himself with “ingrates” and mishandling the state’s political crisis.
Wike claimed he foresaw the turmoil and had advised Fubara to maintain loyalty to those who helped him rise to power, but the governor allegedly ignored his counsel. “All the council chairmen suffered. All the Assemblymen suffered. National Assemblymen suffered for you to become governor. Therefore, don’t abandon them,” Wike declared.
The ex-governor further blasted Fubara for withholding the salaries and allowances of the 27 lawmakers loyal to him for over a year, mocking the governor’s advisers who assured him that “nothing would happen.”
“These people have no income to pay their children’s school fees or feed their families, and you were jubilating. People were encouraging you that nothing will happen. Something has happened,” Wike boasted.
In a thinly veiled endorsement of potential legislative action against Fubara, Wike stated: “I’m not going to stop the assembly from performing its constitutional duty. Whatever they deem necessary that is constitutional, they should do.”
This declaration comes at a critical moment, as the Rivers Assembly abruptly adjourned indefinitely—just days before Fubara was set to present the 2025 budget. With tensions escalating, Wike’s words are being interpreted as a green light for the lawmakers to move against the governor, raising fears of an impending impeachment showdown.
As the political crisis deepens, the question remains: Is Wike pulling the strings behind the scenes to unseat Fubara, or is he merely watching as his former allies turn on the governor he helped install?
