“I Drove to Fubara’s House at 1am to Discuss LG Election, He Was Part of Every Decision” — Wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said Governor Siminalayi Fubara was involved in all decisions leading up to the recent local government elections in Rivers State, despite his absence on election day.

Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Thursday, Wike revealed he visited Fubara’s residence at 1 a.m. to hold discussions on the polls. He explained that the governor had informed him ahead of time that he would not be present during the elections due to a family commitment.

“This is what Nigerians should know: the governor wanted to come and see me. I said, ‘No, you’re the governor.’ I drove to the governor’s house by 1 a.m. I said, ‘Your Excellency, what do we do?’ There’s nothing that was done that the governor wasn’t part of,” Wike said.

The elections, conducted on August 30 by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) under the supervision of sole administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas, were held during the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu. While Fubara and his supporters distanced themselves from the process, Wike maintained that he was fully carried along before leaving the state.

“Even before the election, the governor travelled. He told me he will not be around because his son has this engagement,” Wike added.

The FCT minister dismissed allegations that the crisis in Rivers stemmed from exclusion or lack of consultation, accusing critics of spreading falsehoods. “People just sit somewhere and begin to talk about all kinds of things they don’t even know. All they were expecting is, ‘Oh, they’ve not settled.’ Unfortunately, where people will be collecting money is no longer there,” he said.

The election results favoured the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — Fubara’s party — suffering losses, including in his own local government area.