I Wanted Fubara Removed Completely, But Tinubu Declared State of Emergency and Saved Him — Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he advocated for the removal of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, but President Bola Tinubu’s intervention ultimately saved the governor from being ousted.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, Wike said that although he was displeased with the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, it was the move that prevented Fubara’s outright removal.
Tinubu had declared the state of emergency on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the legislature, and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as the state administrator.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the state of emergency in Rivers State,” Wike stated. “I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”
Wike, a key player in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, insisted that Governor Fubara’s position was already untenable before the president stepped in.
“The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the president did this, I say they should be praising him,” Wike added. “Every morning, they should go to the president and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
He also expressed willingness for peace talks but claimed Fubara’s advisers were discouraging reconciliation efforts.
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