“Nigerians Know I Was the First to Support Tinubu; Fubara Has No Political Structure, Defection Came Too Late” — Wike Continues to Lament

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has intensified his criticism of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, describing the governor’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political miscalculation that came too late and without the necessary structure to make any meaningful impact ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Wike, a former two-term governor of Rivers State and one of the most influential political figures in the South-South region, made the remarks during an end-of-year media chat held in Port Harcourt on Monday. The session, which lasted several hours, provided Wike with another opportunity to openly air his grievances over the political developments in Rivers State, particularly the ongoing power tussle between him and his successor.

 

According to the FCT minister, Governor Fubara’s defection to the APC was largely symbolic and lacked substance, as it was not backed by any formidable political machinery. He argued that long before the governor announced his exit from the PDP, the political ground in Rivers had already shifted.

 

Wike revealed that prior to Fubara’s defection, no fewer than 22 local government chairmen in the state, along with nearly half of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, had already pitched their tents with the APC. In his view, this development stripped the governor’s move of any strategic advantage it might have had.

 

“Politics is about structure and followership,” Wike said. “Before he made up his mind to defect, the local government chairmen had gone. Members of the House of Assembly had gone. So when you now defect, who exactly are you going with?”

 

Mocking the governor’s decision, Wike said Fubara failed to carry along key political stakeholders who ordinarily should move with a sitting governor in such circumstances. He noted that a governor who truly commands loyalty should be able to mobilise the State Assembly, council chairmen, party executives, and members of the National Assembly.

 

“As a governor, you have the State Assembly to move with you. You have the council chairmen, the party chairmen, and members of the National Assembly to move with you,” Wike stated. “But in this case, who did he move with? These people decided to move on their own. That tells you something.”

 

Wike also used the occasion to caution against what he described as the dangerous assumption that open support for President Bola Tinubu automatically guarantees political survival or re-election. According to him, chanting slogans and making public displays of loyalty do not replace the hard work of building alliances and sustaining grassroots support.

 

“Shouting ‘on your mandate we shall stand’ does not imply automatic ticket,” Wike said pointedly. “It doesn’t mean that. Politics is not about shouting slogans; it is about structure, strategy, and trust.”

 

The former Rivers governor further dismissed reports suggesting that Governor Fubara’s defection to the APC was accompanied by celebrations or fanfare at the Government House. He insisted that joining a political party is a process governed by established procedures, not media hype or symbolic gestures.

 

“There is nothing like 001 in Rivers State,” Wike declared, disputing claims that Fubara was issued APC membership number 0001 as the political leader of the state. “When you defect, you go to your ward and register for a new party. That is how it is done.”

 

Wike’s comments appeared to be a direct response to narratives portraying Fubara as the new political leader of the APC in Rivers State following his defection. By rejecting such claims, Wike reaffirmed his long-held position that leadership is earned through influence and loyalty, not by title or office alone.

 

In a veiled show of strength, the FCT minister asserted that whenever he decides to leave the PDP, his loyalists across several states would move with him. According to him, the true test of leadership lies in the ability to mobilise followers and inspire confidence, even outside the confines of government power.

 

“When I decide to move, people will move with me,” Wike said. “That is leadership. Leadership is not about sitting in an office; it is about people believing in you and following you.”

 

Reacting to Governor Fubara’s earlier remark that those supporting President Tinubu should not do so “corner corner,” Wike said he has never hidden his support for the President and has, in fact, paid a political price for his openness.

 

“Nigerians know that in 2023, I supported the President,” he said. “I didn’t hide it. I was very open about it. If I were doing ‘corner corner,’ Assembly members and National Assembly members would not have gone with me. That is leadership.”

 

Wike noted that his open support for Tinubu has made him one of the most criticised ministers in the current administration, but he maintained that he would rather be criticised for standing by his convictions than praised for political hypocrisy.

 

The FCT minister also expressed confidence that the PDP would not win the Federal Capital Territory in the next election, attributing his optimism to what he described as the policies and performance of President Tinubu’s administration. While he did not provide specific details, Wike suggested that the APC’s governance record would resonate with voters in Abuja.

 

On the lingering political crisis in Rivers State and the alleged breakdown of the peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu, Wike placed the blame squarely on Governor Fubara. He accused the governor of failing to honour his side of the truce and being economical with the truth about his relationship with the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

 

“What stops you from calling the Speaker to ask how he is, or calling members of the Assembly to wish them a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year?” Wike asked rhetorically. “You don’t have to wait for me to tell you to do that.”

 

According to Wike, simple gestures of goodwill and communication could have gone a long way in easing tensions between the executive and the legislature in Rivers State. Instead, he said, the governor chose a path that deepened divisions and fuelled mistrust.

 

As the political drama in Rivers State continues to unfold, Wike’s latest comments underscore the depth of the rift between the former allies. With the 2027 elections still some distance away, observers believe the battle for control of Rivers politics is far from over, and Wike’s influence—both within and outside the state—remains a key factor in shaping the unfolding narrative.