'Fubara Biggest Loser in Rivers Crisis,' Wike Declares

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the biggest loser in the political crisis that engulfed the state, saying the governor's actions cost him political goodwill and the opportunity to build on the achievements of his administration. 

Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike said he pitied Fubara, insisting that the governor allowed himself to be misled by politicians who encouraged him to confront those who supported his emergence as governor. 

The former Rivers State governor maintained that he had handed over a stable administration to Fubara with the expectation that the new government would consolidate on existing projects and continue the state's development. Instead, he alleged that Fubara chose a different political path that triggered the prolonged crisis. 

Wike argued that the fallout from the political dispute affected governance in Rivers State, ultimately making Fubara the greatest casualty of the conflict.

The FCT minister also criticised some political figures whom he accused of misleading the governor into believing he could successfully challenge the political structure that brought him to power. According to Wike, those individuals have since distanced themselves, leaving Fubara to face the consequences of the crisis. 

Despite the prolonged feud, Wike said he harboured no personal hatred towards Fubara, stressing that his concern was with the decisions taken by the governor during the crisis. He added that the political turmoil could have been avoided if wiser counsel had prevailed. 

The political rift between Wike and Fubara has dominated Rivers State politics for months, resulting in divisions within the state's political establishment and affecting governance before recent reconciliation efforts brokered by President Bola Tinubu.