Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the political crisis in Rivers State denied Governor Siminalayi Fubara the opportunity to seek a second term.
Wike blamed what he described as poor advice from political associates and external interests for the breakdown in their relationship. He spoke during the August edition of his monthly media chat, which aired live on Channels Television on Tuesday.
Wike says he warned Fubara
The former Rivers State governor said he repeatedly advised Fubara not to abandon the political structure that brought him to power. According to Wike, every political leader should build on an existing foundation instead of dismantling it.
“I said, look, don’t derail. I came as governor, I had crisis. When I came as governor, there was nothing. They didn’t even relocate the Government House.”
Wike also recalled inheriting an administration with limited resources. He said he even borrowed ceremonial vehicles from a former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, before gradually rebuilding the Government House and providing official vehicles for top government officials.
‘He listened to the wrong people’
Wike alleged that people who initially opposed Fubara’s emergence later became his close associates and encouraged him to confront his political benefactors. According to him, those individuals eventually damaged the governor’s political future.
“Those who didn’t want you to be governor now became your friends. Obviously, they will destroy you, thinking that coming closer to you is to fight us.”
He added that while he had lost nothing from the political dispute, Fubara lost the opportunity to pursue another term in office.
“Your intention was to go for a second term, is it not correct? And you are not going.”
Reconciliation efforts failed
Wike disclosed that both camps once explored reconciliation and agreed to move past their differences. However, he said political considerations prevented the peace efforts from succeeding. According to the minister, some people feared reconciliation would restore his political influence in Rivers State.
Wike alleges external interests
The FCT minister also claimed that some external forces wanted to take control of Rivers State for financial gain. He alleged that some influential individuals, including senior lawyers, advised Fubara to oppose his political camp. According to Wike, those advisers encouraged the governor to ignore earlier agreements and continue the political confrontation.
Rivers crisis escalated
The political dispute between Wike and Fubara began shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023. The disagreement later escalated into a prolonged power struggle involving the Rivers State House of Assembly, impeachment threats and a state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.
Following his reinstatement, Fubara defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He later withdrew from the party’s governorship primary in May 2026. In July 2026, the governor publicly rejoined Wike’s political family and endorsed the coalition’s preferred governorship candidate for the next election.
Read also: Rivers crisis: Wike says Fubara lost second-term opportunity
