“I Wanted the Outright Removal of Fubara, Not Emergency Rule” – Wike

Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent Presidential Proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State. Speaking during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday, Wike made it clear that he was not pleased with the emergency rule and instead had hoped for the outright removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The declaration of the state of emergency was made by President Bola Tinubu last month, citing ongoing political instability and security concerns, such as pipeline explosions, as the primary reasons. As part of the proclamation, Tinubu suspended Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months. In their stead, Vice Admiral Ibas was appointed as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until the situation is resolved. The move has sparked considerable debate and criticism across the country.

During the media parley, Wike, who served as the governor of Rivers State before Fubara, admitted that he had hoped for a more direct action, specifically the complete removal of the governor. “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state,” Wike said.

Wike added that although the matter is still in court, he believes that the governor’s removal was inevitable. He emphasized that it was not his responsibility to make Fubara’s situation more comfortable, stating, “The governor was gone. It is not on my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable, and that is why there is power plane.”

The tension between Wike and Fubara has been long-standing, with both figures vying for control of the state’s political and structural resources. The disagreement has further led to a divided state House of Assembly, where 27 suspended members defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the emergence of factional speakers and a parallel assembly. The political rift continues to affect the governance and stability of the state.