By Augustine Akhilomen

Rivers State is once again in the news. And not for good reasons. The so-called Godfather of state politics and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike is determined to deny the governor, Sim Fubara a second term in office, mainly because according to him, Fubara is not doing his bidding.

Wike, is a card-carrying member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a party he has tried over the past 24 months to decimate, due to what he perceived as injustice meted to him and his supporters after he was bypassed for the then governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeayin Okowa as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who had won the PDP’s presidential ticket. This has not however prevented him from vowing to depose Fubara who had since joined the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) after getting the nod of President Bola Tinubu.

The outspoken minister had boastfully claimed that Fubara became governor through his influence in the state and that the latter wants to bite the hands that brought him into power after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This propelled Wike to raise the alarm bell that his political career would come to an end if Fubara secures a second term in office in 2027.

To halt Fubara’s growing influence and popularity, Wike through the Rivers Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara. The Assembly’s spokesperson, Enemi George, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said that the lawmakers are acting strictly within the provisions of the Constitution and not at the behest of any political figure.

It will be recalled that the Rivers State House of Assembly had earlier initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, citing allegations of gross misconduct, a development that has continued to generate political tension and public debate across the state and beyond.

Before now, the FCT minister had reiterated that he and his followers had decided to support the reelection bid of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, but not so for Governor Fubara. “We have made a decision as far as Bola Tinubu is concerned. The other one (Fubara’s second term)—no way,” he said in a veiled reference to Mr Fubara.

“Because if we make another mistake, then we will go and bury ourselves politically. I will not allow myself to be buried. I will not allow that mistake again. So everybody should know we have made a decision,” he said.

His comments followed Mr Fubara’s New Year message in which the governor described Mr Wike’s recent threats in the state as “political noise.”

But then, many political observers believe Wike may be having his work cut out considering the fact that he still belongs to PDP and can’t dictate what happens to a core member of the ruling party despite his closeness with Aso Rock.

Besides, his recent clash of words with the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, further indicates the intensity of the ongoing drama rocking the party over Fubara’s future. Wike had earlier warned Basiru to steer clear of Rivers State politics, cautioning him against making careless and provocative statements about the state.

However, Bashiru, in return, warned the Minister to desist from what he described as attempts to destabilize the party. He insisted that the minister should “immediately resign” from the President Tinubu administration if he cannot stop interfering in the party’s affairs.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of our party (APC), so he lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs of our party,” he stated.

“Hence, my comments regarding the affairs of the APC in Rivers State cannot be an undue interference in the affairs of Rivers State. As National Secretary, my activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State,” he added.

Interestingly, information available from the political corridors in Rivers State has it that Fubara has now become President Tinubu’s adopted political son and does not need to pass through Wike to see the President any longer, a development that could be described as an ‘uppercut’ to the FCT Minister’s power game.

Thepledge also learned that President Tinubu’s game plan is to capture Rivers State through a more stable Gov. Fubara as opposed to having to contend with Wike, who has been reportedly giving the President a lot of issues and political pressure.

Another insider disclosed that Fubara had been emboldened by the promised backing of the APC governors and leaders for his re-election bid, hence his readiness to challenge the FCT minister’s political strength in the state.

The pertinent question begging for answers therefore is: With these developments and the continued unnecessary tension Wike is causing in the oil rich state, who will call him to order?

Reacting to this lingering issue, a national official of the APC said the FCT minister could not determine the governor’s fate. The top official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, maintained that Wike’s boast of having Rivers State in his pocket was not true.

“Wike is just unnecessarily agitating himself because ultimately, the decision on Rivers will be that of the President, not him. Wike is not as popular as he is claiming to be. He lost his polling unit in the last election; he lost to the Labour Party. He is just lucky that the president won and felt that he (Wike) was useful to tackle the opposition. It was a tough one winning Rivers State.

“Fubara is a governor of the APC, and the Governors’ Forum of the APC is always a major support for the party. By the rules of our party, we are going to respect the governors and give them the necessary support,” he said.

In the same vein, a member of the state Elders and Leaders Council and pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, accused Wike of working to frustrate Fubara’s political future.

“The minister has said that Fubara joining the APC does not guarantee him an automatic ticket, and it looks as if he is trying to block Fubara from getting re-elected. But Wike can try his best; it is the people who will decide who becomes the governor. It is the electorate that will decide.

“My advice is that he should learn from Malami (former Minister of Justice) and others. He should remember that a day will come when the tide will be against him.”

Another member of the council, Chief Asukewe Iko-Awaji, dismissed claims that Wike could determine Fubara’s political future.

He said, “The only person who has the power to stop Fubara is God. So, what Wike is saying is just a cock-and-bull story.”

Also speaking, a prominent Niger Delta activist and member of the Rivers State Elders Forum, Ann Kio-Briggs, took a swipe at Wike over his recent comments against Fubara.

Kio-Briggs described Wike’s vow not to allow Fubara to seek reelection in 2027 as both a threat to Rivers State and the people and therefore unacceptable.

Her words: “Let me put it like this: Nyesom Wike is a former governor of Rivers State. He is a son of Rivers State. Wike is the Minister of the Federal Capital and a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party. Nobody can claim that any one individual has 100 percent support in any state in Nigeria, in any place in the world.

“You cannot have 100 percent support even when you put a gun to somebody’s head; the support is not 100 percent.

“The minister is not the owner of Rivers State. He doesn’t own Rivers State, and he doesn’t own the people of Rivers State. At least, given this preamble, nobody can claim that the present governor is not the governor of Rivers State; nobody can claim how many people can vote for him or cannot vote for him. But as of today, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has the majority of votes of the people of Rivers State.”

As it is, Nigerians are evidently fed up with this incessant political crisis in Rivers State and are fervently waiting for if and when the President will call the minister to order. President Tinubu will have to do it fast before it escalates uncontrollably. Will the President dump Fubara who now belongs to his party for Wike, who has been doing his bidding since he helped him in winning the state in 2023? Only time will tell! But Tinubu will have to take a decision sooner to restore stability in Rivers State.