“Supporting Tinubu Will Not Earn Anyone a Return Ticket,” Wike Tells Fubara

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not guarantee a second-term ticket for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor, made the statement during a visit to Enohia Local Government Area of the state at the weekend, in remarks widely viewed as a continuation of his political feud with Fubara.

Both men have been locked in a protracted struggle for political influence in Rivers State, a dispute that triggered months of instability. At its peak, the crisis led to the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency by President Tinubu.

The political fallout also saw 27 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers loyal to Wike reportedly defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that resulted in multiple court cases. In parallel, some caretaker committee chairmen aligned with Governor Fubara defected to the Action People’s Party (APP) ahead of local government elections, which they later won.

President Tinubu later intervened in the crisis, leading to reports of a peace agreement between Wike and Fubara. Sources claimed that part of the settlement included an understanding that Fubara would not seek re-election in 2027. After the expiration of the six-month state of emergency in September, the deputy governor and state lawmakers were reinstated, raising expectations of a return to political stability.

Earlier this month, Governor Fubara defected from the PDP to the APC following a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He later announced the move in Port Harcourt, pledging his support for the President. His defection came shortly after some Rivers State lawmakers also joined the APC.

Reacting to the development, Wike dismissed the political weight of such declarations, saying loyalty to the President would not influence the 2027 contest.

“The Rivers State House of Assembly has done its job. Supporting Tinubu alone cannot guarantee anyone a ticket,” Wike said.

He also criticised politicians who had earlier challenged the Assembly in court but were now publicly declaring support for the President, insisting that his camp’s backing of Tinubu was driven by conviction, not political expediency.