Barr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has declared that he is done with Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state, and will not repeat what he described as a mistake ahead of the 2027 election.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers state, spoke to his supporters over the weekend in Ahoada local government area of the state.
His words: “We will not make the mistake we made in 2023. I want to tell you now, are we going there? No, we are not going there. Are you hearing me? We are not going there.”
The minister said he would handpick a more pliant successor to replace Fubara in 2027, even as he accused Fubara of reneging on multiple agreements reached between them.
“As far as Rivers state is concerned, nobody will call me because you had a first agreement, somebody reneged; the second agreement, he reneged. Which one will he accept again? We would not make that mistake again,” he added.
Wike mocked supporters of the governor over the popular “on your mandate” slogan.
“Now, because opposition has collapsed, everybody is now shouting ‘on your mandate’. Why don’t you shout ‘on your mandate’ since? We have been shouting ‘on your mandate’ since,” he stated.
The former governor said Fubara’s reported defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not guarantee his support for re-election.
Wike said his loyalty to Bola Tinubu does not extend automatically to Fubara.
“I never hide it as far as Bola Ahmed Tinubu is concerned. There is nothing to think about. He has to complete his eight years because he has shown Rivers state love,” he said.
“Who would ever believe it in this world that a Rivers man would be a minister of FCT?” Wike added.
He said chanting “on your mandate” would not translate into an automatic ticket.
“So, if you like, shout ‘on your mandate’ 50 times a day, it will not give you an automatic ticket,” he said.
“If you like, bring everybody, shout ‘on your mandate’; that is not an automatic ticket,” he added.
Wike said he is not opposed to Tinubu but will insist on installing someone he can trust in Rivers state.
“We are not opposing Mr President, but in Rivers state, you go no say ‘kaki no be leather’,” he said.
“We will get somebody we can trust, go home, and sleep with our eyes closed,” Wike added.
The minister said politics is driven by interests and gratitude.
“Politics is about interest. If you don’t appreciate what people have done in your life, then you have a problem,” he said.
I smell political war in rivers state,mr wike should be call to orde for peace to reign in the state
Wike knows he’s on the losing side already.
All these noise are finally whistle blow that won’t take him anywhere. He’s politically buried
Wikes politics is coming to an end, his noise is just an empty threat to his governor