The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he remains “in charge of Rivers State,” as political tensions persist between him and his estranged political godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Naija News reports that Wike made the remark on Saturday during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Wariwike Ethnic Nationality at Ogu, in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state.
After thanking his political allies and supporters, Wike sought to reassure them that the ongoing political crisis in the state was under control.
“When God promotes you in life, you’ll go back and say, ‘God, I thank you.’ I can tell you, go home and sleep very well with your two eyes closed. We’re in charge,” he said.
The statement came amid a prolonged power struggle between Wike and Fubara that has dominated Rivers’ politics since 2023.
Supremacy Battle Escalated Since 2023
The crisis began after Fubara’s rift with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly perceived to be loyal to Wike. The conflict escalated into a political stalemate, culminating in the suspension of Fubara for 6 months and the imposition of emergency rule on the state by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025.
Although the emergency rule was later lifted, tensions have persisted, with pro‑Wike lawmakers threatening to impeach the governor over alleged unconstitutional conduct.
In a strategic counter, Fubara recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) — a move widely interpreted as an effort to shield himself from removal.
In response, Wike has mobilised political support through his Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a platform gathering leaders across party lines in support of President Tinubu’s re‑election bid.
At the state coordinators’ inauguration earlier this week, Wike accused the Rivers State Government of denying permission to use Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt for the event, a claim the governor’s camp attributes to ongoing construction work at the venue.
Original Allies, Later Converts — Wike
At Saturday’s reception, Wike reiterated his appreciation for those who supported him from the early days of his political rise.
“Let me say, and I stand to be corrected, that those who worked with us from the inception of 2014, when we mounted the idea of the governorship of the state, none of them have disappointed us,” he said.
He added that those who had disappointed him were “later-day converts” who were not part of his original team during his tenure as governor.
“Those of them that we cannot tell their story are those who were later-day converts. They were not the original part of the planning of me becoming the governor of Rivers State,” Wike said.
Wike also praised President Tinubu’s leadership, particularly in reforming the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The NDC we have today is different from the NDC we used to have. Why? You have the president who believes you must renew the hope of the hopeless,” he said.
