Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has identified four political figures he accused of misleading Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara during the political crisis that rocked the state for several months.
Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the former Rivers governor said Edison Ehie, Chijioke Ihunwo, Victor Oko Jumbo and activist Ankio Briggs played major roles in influencing Fubara’s decisions during the prolonged face-off.
Wike maintained that the advice given to the governor by the individuals contributed significantly to the breakdown of agreements reached to restore peace between the opposing camps.
According to him, the crisis could have been resolved much earlier if the governor had not listened to those around him.
The minister said Fubara eventually became the biggest casualty of the political battle, insisting that many of those who encouraged him to confront the political structure that brought him to power were no longer in positions to help him.
“I feel for Governor Siminalayi Fubara because he is the biggest loser,” Wike said.
The FCT minister argued that several efforts were made to settle disagreements after President Bola Tinubu intervened and facilitated peace talks between the rival camps.
He alleged that despite agreements reached during the reconciliation process, some of the governor’s associates continued to push him in a different direction, creating fresh tensions within the state.
Wike said the developments eventually worsened the political situation and prolonged the conflict that affected governance and political activities across Rivers State.
The minister also used the occasion to describe himself as the most experienced politician currently active in Rivers politics.
Reacting to the recent reconciliation between him and Governor Fubara, Wike said his long involvement in the state’s political affairs gave him a deep understanding of the key actors and events that have shaped Rivers politics over the years.
“I was a governor in the state and I know all these people. In fact, there is no politician in the state today that is more experienced than me,” he said.
“From 1999, I can say that I am the most experienced politician that is still on.”
Wike further stated that many of those who allegedly encouraged the governor to challenge him had little to offer the state in terms of political development and governance.
The minister insisted that his political experience enabled him to foresee how the crisis would eventually end.
Recall, Politics Nigeria earlier reported that Governor Siminalayi Fubara on July, publicly confirmed that the political battle between him and Wike had ended, declaring that peace had finally returned to Rivers State.
The governor made the announcement during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Rivien Medical Industry project in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
In one of his clearest statements since the reconciliation process began, Fubara openly declared support for the Rainbow Coalition associated with Wike and urged his supporters to align with the political arrangement.
“We have made peace in the state. And I am supporting our rainbow party, or rainbow coalition,” the governor said.
Fubara also threw his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid and endorsed Kingsley Chinda as his preferred governorship candidate.
“President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is our president, and he’s the one we are supporting,” he stated.
The governor went further by announcing that he had fully returned to the political family he once belonged to.
“For those of you who are saying, ‘Fubara, let’s stay, we want to collect something before we run,’ there is nothing to collect.”
“I am already in the family. I’ve gone back to our family. So please, wherever you are, give your total support to that coalition.”
Fubara also appealed to his loyalists to embrace reconciliation and avoid actions capable of creating fresh divisions in the state.
“The time of war is over; it’s time of peace. And this peace is taking us to another level,” he said.
The governor stressed that he would not be associated with any political movement that could return Rivers State to the period of intense political conflict.
A few days later, Wike also welcomed the governor’s return, insisting there was nothing wrong with a politician correcting mistakes and returning to his political roots.
“In politics, there is no sin. If someone realises they made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that,” Wike said while addressing journalists in Abuja.
The minister concluded that Fubara’s return would strengthen political unity in Rivers State and boost preparations ahead of the next year’s elections.
