The political rift between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, deepened on Sunday.
The Port City News (TCPN) gathered that Wike, speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, declared that he would not allow himself to be “buried politically” by permitting Fubara to secure a second term.
The former governor urged his supporters to work diligently for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the next general elections, while insisting that a decision had already been taken to block Fubara’s return as governor.
“We have made a decision as far as Tinubu is concerned. The other one [Fubara]—no way. If we make another mistake, we will bury ourselves politically. I will not allow myself to be buried. I will not make that mistake again,” Wike said.
He added that the decision which allowed Fubara to secure a first term would not be repeated at the state level in 2027.
Also see: 2027: Ijaw Youth Council Endorses Fubara for Second Term
Wike’s renewed attack on the governor followed Fubara’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on 9 December.
He accused the governor of breaching the peace agreement reached prior to the lifting of the emergency rule in Rivers State, which paved the way for his return to office.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) warned that if the Federal Government and the APC sought Ijaw support, they must respect the will of the people and refrain from interfering in the affairs of Rivers State.
The group declared its support for Fubara and endorsed him as its preferred candidate, adding that it neither accepted nor recognised any political arrangements linked to Wike.
