Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he actively sought the removal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, but was overruled by President Bola Tinubu, whose intervention through a state of emergency ultimately preserved Fubara’s position.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State but acknowledged that it was a strategic move that spared the embattled governor from being ousted.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the state of emergency in Rivers,” Wike stated. “I wanted Governor Fubara removed entirely. The president, by choosing the emergency route, actually saved him.”
President Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the state legislature, and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as administrator.
Wike, a key player in the ongoing political standoff in the state, maintained that Fubara’s removal was imminent before the president’s intervention.
“The governor was already gone,” he asserted. “So when people talk about what the president did, I say they should be thanking him. In fact, every morning they should go and ask, ‘Mr. President, can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
Despite his strong stance, the minister signaled a willingness to pursue peace, accusing Fubara’s advisers of discouraging him from reconciliation efforts.
“I’m open to peace talks,” Wike said. “But the people around him keep telling him not to embrace peace.”
