Rivers crisis: Tinubu won’t sacrifice Wike for Fubara  —  Fayose
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has said President Bola Tinubu will not sacrifice the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, amid the lingering political crisis in the state.

Fayose made the assertion during an exclusive interview on Arise Television aired on Tuesday, while reacting to the power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, which has continued to fuel political instability in Rivers State.

According to Fayose, Wike remains more politically relevant to President Tinubu than Fubara, insisting that the President has little incentive to abandon the former Rivers governor.

“But let me say this to Nigerians, the Asiwaju that I know, will not get rid of a Wike for a Fubara. Wike came from Rivers to give support to President Tinubu,” Fayose said.

He argued that Wike’s continued political value lies in his performance as FCT minister and his ability to deliver electoral victories for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Wike is in Abuja performing, we’ve never had it so good in Abuja, even a blind man can’t deny that,” Fayose said.

“The local government in Rivers, APC won them courtesy of Wike. The coming local government in Abuja, APC will still win it. So, what else will the President want from Wike?” he queried.

Commenting on Governor Fubara’s reported move to seek the President’s intervention, Fayose suggested it was an indication of the governor’s political arrogance.

“If Governor Fubara has gone to meet the President (in France), then it shows he needs help. When you don’t praise God, when you refuse to humble yourself and look for peace, you’ll just be running helter-skelter. What he’s looking for is inside his pocket.”

Fayose also weighed in on the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissing claims that President Tinubu is responsible for the party’s woes.

“The challenges in the PDP is not the fault of Asiwaju,” he said. “Failure in my home, God forbid, is not the fault of my neighbour.”

He described the PDP as a party undermined by internal divisions and self-inflicted conflicts.

“The PDP caused themselves an insurrection. It’s a house that divided against itself and the nature of man is survival of the fittest,” Fayose added.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday said President Bola Tinubu was neither missing nor absent from his duties.

This followed comments credited to Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, who questioned the president’s visibility.

The party, in a statement signed by its Lagos State Spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Lagos on Tuesday, said the President remained fully engaged in the business of governance, both within and outside the country.

Oladejo urged political actors to focus on issues of substance rather than optics.

According to him, the president is not missing, nor is he absent from his constitutional responsibilities.

“He is actively involved in the complex and demanding work of statecraft, which includes policy coordination, security oversight, diplomatic engagements and economic reforms.

”Governance is not measured by constant public appearances or media check-ins. It is assessed by the quality of decisions taken, the policies implemented and the outcomes delivered in the national interest.”

He also said that Tinubu had continued to discharge his duties with focus and resolve, guided by the constitutional mandate given to him by Nigerians.

“His schedule and engagements are driven by national priorities, not by the need to satisfy political commentary,” he said.

Oladejo added that the Tinubu administration had remained active on several fronts, including economic reforms, security coordination and international diplomacy.

He noted that these efforts were aimed at repositioning Nigeria for sustainable growth and global relevance.

He advised political leaders to engage constructively by offering ideas and alternatives that would contribute to national development, rather than raising questions that could create unnecessary public anxiety.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obi, also a former Anambra governor, had questioned the whereabouts of Tinubu amid what he described as deepening economic hardship, insecurity and leadership silence.

In a statement posted on his verified X account on Monday, Obi said his concern was driven by the scale of challenges confronting the country and the perceived absence of direct presidential engagement at a critical time.

He alleged that President Tinubu spent 196 days outside the country in 2025, adding that this exceeded the time he spent within Nigeria during the same period.

He also claimed that Nigerians had not heard directly from the president since December 2025.

It would be recalled that Tinubu on Dec. 28 departed Lagos for Europe to continue his end-of-year break and in preparation for an official visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The president was invited by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026).

Tinubu on Sunday arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to attend the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which began on Monday.

(NAN)

Traditional leaders in Ibadan have issued a stern warning to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, over what they describe as a serious act of disrespect toward the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.

The warning came after a tense encounter at the Agodi Government House in Ibadan, where the Alaafin reportedly stretched out his hand while seated to greet the Olubadan – a gesture Ibadan leaders called “deeply insulting to the revered stool and the entire Ibadan traditional institution”.

Following a meeting of Ibadan traditional authorities, including monarchs, Mogajis, Baales, and prominent indigenes, the stakeholders accused the Alaafin of consistently disregarding Ibadan customs and hierarchy.


In a statement signed by the President of Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori, and the Coordinator of the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative, ICPI, Mogaji Dr. Nurudeen Akinade, the leaders described the action as “an embarrassment of the highest order”.

They noted that the Olubadan’s response was measured and appropriate but warned that any further provocation from the Oyo monarch would meet stronger resistance from Ibadan’s traditional authorities, including Kabiyesis, chiefs, Mogajis, and Baales.

The statement highlighted Oba Ladoja’s seniority, age and distinguished service, noting that the 82-year-old monarch is a former senator, ex-governor, seasoned statesman, and successful businessman whose stature, the leaders argued, surpasses that of the Alaafin.

“Alaafin’s disrespect to the Olubadan stool is getting out of hand,” the statement read. “If Governor Seyi Makinde fails to caution him and Ibadan people are pushed to react, the Oyo monarch will regret his actions.”

The stakeholders emphasized that Ibadan people are peace-loving but not weak, stressing that the calm should not be mistaken for fear.

“Ibadan people cherish their culture and traditions and will resist anything capable of ridiculing them,” the statement added.

They further insisted that Ibadanland has never been subordinate to the Alaafin and that any attempt to undermine the Olubadan stool’s dignity would be firmly rejected.

“Alaafin may choose not to greet the Olubadan but stretching his hand while seated to greet our highly revered monarch is an insult to the entire Ibadan traditional institution. Ibadan mesi o go,” the statement added.