The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, stating that the Governor should never have obtained nomination forms to seek re-election. Mr Wike insisted that the move ran directly contrary to agreements reached during high-level interventions to resolve the protracted political crisis in the state.
Mr Wike made the remarks on Monday whilst speaking with journalists following an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects across Abuja.
According to the Minister, the terms of the reconciliation talks explicitly dictated that whilst impeachment threats against the Governor would be dropped by the state legislature, Mr Fubara would reciprocate by not pursuing a second term in office.
Mr Wike stated that he was unsurprised by the Governor’s recent decision to pull out of the gubernatorial primary, describing the exit as a belated alignment with the terms brokered by political stakeholders.
“I am not surprised that the governor withdrew,” Mr Wike remarked. “In the first place, he ought not to have collected the form, because agreement was reached that the impeachment should be dropped, while he should also not go about a second term.”
The Minister maintained that the Governor’s initial decision to purchase the nomination form had needlessly complicated efforts aimed at restoring political stability to Rivers State. He further suggested that several of the Governor’s previous actions failed to reflect the true spirit of the reconciliation process, despite numerous interventions by neutral stakeholders.
“But whatever it is, he has withdrawn and somebody has emerged,” Mr Wike added, dismissing further contention over the ticket.
The Minister’s comments offer a starkly different narrative to the official reasons provided by the Governor for his exit from the race.
In a formal statement titled “My Decision to Withdraw from the Rivers State Gubernatorial Primaries,” Governor Fubara had announced that his withdrawal was a voluntary sacrifice made after extensive consultations, prioritising the broader interests of the state.
The Governor maintained that he arrived at the decision after careful reflection and discussions with family members, political allies, and close associates, framing the move as a necessary step to preserve peace, unity, and stability across Rivers State.
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