Governor Fubara,
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he had pushed for the complete removal of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, but President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency ultimately prevented that from happening.
Wike made this revelation during a media chat held in Abuja on Friday.
He expressed disapproval of the emergency declaration but admitted that it effectively rescued the embattled governor from being ousted.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the state of emergency in Rivers State,” Wike said.
“I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”
President Tinubu had declared the emergency on March 18, 2025, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the state legislature, and installing Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator.
Wike, who has been at the heart of the prolonged political tensions in Rivers, emphasized that Fubara’s situation had already deteriorated to an irredeemable point before Tinubu’s intervention.
“The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the president did this, I say they should be praising him,” Wike stated.
“Every morning, they should go to the president and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
He also noted that while he is open to reconciliation, he believes that the suspended governor is being misled by his inner circle.
According to Wike, “Fubara’s advisers keep telling him not to embrace peace.”
