Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s decision to return to his political camp, insisting that the governor committed no offence by reconciling with the political family that brought him to power.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday while addressing journalists after inspecting ongoing road projects in the Federal Capital Territory, dismissed suggestions that Fubara had been “forgiven” after their prolonged political crisis.
According to him, politics is about making decisions in the interest of the people and correcting mistakes when necessary.
His reaction comes about six days after Governor Fubara publicly declared his support for President Bola Tinubu, the Rainbow Coalition led by Wike and the coalition’s governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
During the groundbreaking ceremony of the reconstruction and equipping of the Riven Medical Facility in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Fubara urged his supporters to back every candidate presented by the coalition, declaring that the period of political conflict in Rivers State had come to an end.
Responding to questions about the reconciliation, Wike said there was nothing wrong with Fubara’s decision to return to the political family that produced him.
“I don’t know what you mean by sin. In politics, there is no sin. If someone realises they made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that. Politics is not a sin. What matters is recognising that you were on the wrong path and making the right decision,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor recalled that he had predicted during his last media chat that Fubara would eventually return because he had no better political alternative.
“I said during my last media chat that he had no other choice but to return to the same political family that produced him. I have now been informed that he has made that declaration publicly, and we welcome him. Our doors are open. Everyone is welcome for us to work together. There is no better alternative. We will all work together to move the state forward,” he stated.
Wike also expressed confidence that Fubara’s public endorsement of the Rainbow Coalition would strengthen efforts to mobilise support for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
“He has publicly stated that he has returned to where he started, and we receive him with an open mind. There is nothing to hide. We will all work together to ensure that we deliver the votes President Tinubu needs for his re-election,” he added.
Fubara, while announcing his return to the coalition, had declared that he was fully committed to supporting Tinubu and every candidate presented by the Rainbow Coalition.
“I am supporting our Rainbow Coalition. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our President, and he is the one we are supporting. The governorship candidate is the candidate I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support every candidate under the Rainbow Coalition,” the governor said.
Rejecting calls for him to delay joining the coalition, Fubara insisted that he had already returned to his political family.
“I am already in the family. I have returned to our family. Give your total support to the coalition. The time of war is over; it is now time for peace, and that peace will take us to another level,” he said.
The governor also assured Rivers residents that he would not be involved in any action capable of reviving the political crisis that had divided the state.
“I am not party to anything that will bring any form of disunity in this state. We have done what we need to do, and now we are moving forward,” Fubara stated.
The latest reconciliation follows months of political tension between Wike and Fubara, which triggered a major crisis in Rivers State.
Earlier this year, Wike disclosed that part of the peace agreement reached between both camps required Fubara to withdraw from the 2027 governorship race, while impeachment moves against him would also be dropped. The governor later withdrew from the race, a move Wike described as being in line with the reconciliation agreement.
Speaking further during his inspection of infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the ISEX Road Corridor and the Apo-Karshi Road. He said contractors had assured the administration that the ISEX Road would be ready for commissioning in December if funding continued as planned.
The FCT minister stressed that his administration would continue to complete inherited projects rather than abandon them.
“Some people assume office and say they will only focus on projects they initiated. That is not leadership. Good leadership is continuing projects that are vital to the development of the city, projects that transform the landscape and improve the economy.
“We are pleased with the progress the contractors are making. It is now our responsibility to fulfil our own obligations so they can complete these projects on schedule,” Wike said.
