Fubara biggest loser in Rivers crisis, says Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the biggest loser in the political crisis that has shaken the state.

Wike stated that the governor’s inability to secure control of key political structures in the state had weakened his position and jeopardised his chances of returning for a second term.

The FCT minister spoke during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, where he blamed some of Fubara’s supporters for giving him poor advice and escalating the crisis.

According to Wike, the governor’s failure to conduct the local government election that produced the current council chairmen in the 23 local government areas, as well as his lack of influence over the state House of Assembly, showed that he was not fully in control of the government.

“Impeachment is constitutionally provided for, but it is also a political tool,” Wike said. “At a certain stage in a conflict, one party may need to make concessions in the interest of peace.”
He added that political disputes often require compromise, saying, “In the interest of peace, you give and take.”

Wike expressed surprise that Fubara could not win the support of any member of the 29-member House of Assembly during the crisis.
“Not one Assembly member was taken away. What does that tell you?” he asked, arguing that the governor lacked the political backing needed to confront the crisis.

The former Rivers governor also criticised those surrounding Fubara, saying they contributed little to helping him succeed.

He maintained that the governor did not preside over the local government election recognised by the current administration, noting that the earlier election conducted under Fubara was nullified by the Supreme Court.

“When I said the governor is losing, I mean he did not conduct the election that produced the present local government chairmen, and because of the advice he received from some people around him, he failed to secure a second term,” Wike said.

The FCT minister recalled that during the flag-off of the Rivers Ring Road project, he had told Fubara that completing the project would strengthen his chances of re-election.

He accused some public commentators and political allies of misleading the governor and encouraging unnecessary confrontation.
Wike further described himself as one of the most experienced politicians in Rivers State, insisting that political power is always controlled by a group at a given time.

Asked directly why he considered Fubara the biggest loser, Wike replied that the governor had received an opportunity “on a platter of gold” but failed to manage the political pressures that came with office.

He concluded by saying that the prolonged crisis had harmed not only the governor but also the state itself.

“Politics is about power,” Wike said. “How that power is used is another matter, but nobody should deceive you that politics is the same as the church.”