The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has admitted that he lobbied for the removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, but disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ultimately saved the embattled governor by declaring a state of emergency.
TJ News Nigeria reports that Wike made the revelation during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday, highlighting the behind-the-scenes political maneuvers that led to a dramatic intervention by the presidency.
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According to Wike, although he was not pleased with the president’s decision to impose emergency rule in Rivers, the move spared Governor Fubara from being ousted. He described the situation as critical and suggested that Fubara’s position was already irreversibly weakened before Tinubu stepped in.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State,” Wike stated. “I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved him.”
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, effectively suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly. In their place, he appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state administrator to oversee governance and restore stability.
Wike, a key figure in the political crisis engulfing Rivers, maintained that Fubara’s administration had lost its legitimacy and would have been removed had it not been for the president’s intervention.
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“The governor was gone. He was finished politically. So when people criticise the president, I tell them they should be praising him,” Wike said.
“Every morning, they should go to the president and say, ‘Sir, can we wash your feet for saving us?’” he added, implying that Fubara’s political survival was solely due to Tinubu’s executive discretion.
While expressing openness to reconciliation, Wike accused the governor’s inner circle of sabotaging peace efforts. He alleged that Fubara’s advisers continue to mislead and dissuade him from embracing peace and dialogue.
The feud between Wike and Fubara, once political allies, has plunged Rivers State into a prolonged power struggle marked by intense political hostility, legislative paralysis, and public protests.
Despite calls from civil society groups and prominent stakeholders for a peaceful resolution, tensions remain high in the oil-rich state. It is unclear whether the president’s emergency measure will bring lasting peace or further complicate the political landscape.
As the crisis unfolds, all eyes remain on the federal government’s next steps and whether Wike and Fubara can broker a genuine reconciliation—or if the rift will escalate further in the months ahead.
