Wike Lists Fubara’s Biggest Political Sins

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has claimed that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara committed critical political errors by trying to operate independently and establishing his own political network prematurely following his inauguration.

Wike asserted that Fubara’s choices clearly demonstrated a betrayal of the individuals and the foundational political coalition that propelled him into office.

Speaking during a Saturday media interaction in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Wike explained that upon completing his gubernatorial tenure, he established a strong developmental framework and anticipated that Fubara would build upon it to help Rivers narrow the infrastructure gap with Lagos, but his successor allegedly pursued a different agenda.

The FCT Minister noted that he spearheaded major infrastructure initiatives, including the multibillion-naira Port Harcourt Ring Road connecting numerous local areas, which commenced before his handover.

Furthermore, Wike highlighted that he completed twelve flyovers during his time leading the oil-rich state, enhancing the aesthetic appeal and traffic flow of Port Harcourt.

He stressed that political actors must exercise extreme caution, noting that Fubara’s missteps widened the divide he had sought to close regarding development parity with Lagos.

“In politics you have to be careful. There are those who want you to succeed and make a name. The opportunity that you have been given, not everybody has that opportunity. There are those who are not happy who don’t want you to be there, and you have to be very careful.

Remember before I handed over to Governor Fubara, we did a church service and I did say that you have been elected. Few days you will be sworn in, now what do you want to achieve? See where I have stopped. My thinking is that we do need to compete with Lagos. We have laid the foundation, he (Fubara) should be able to continue from there, we will give you all the necessary support.”

Wike mentioned that soon after taking office, Fubara began listening to detractors and individuals eyeing his seat who supposedly urged him into a conflict with his predecessor.

“But listen, in this game you have your stone base (support), you have your village relation, you have all kinds and manner of people. There are those who will mean well for you, there are those who will not mean well for you.

Now you just came to office, somebody now comes, yes he is trying to support you. Must it be his name? Why not try now to put yourself and people know that it is you.

Yes you came through him but it is now you; all kinds of manner of things. Some will even go through your wife. Some people will go through your in-laws. So people will go through your father and all kinds of things. So it now behoves on you to sit and say, this kind of advice, where will it lead me to?”

“You have to think well. If you make the mistake he made by saying that yes, I can do it alone, those who gave me support, I don’t care, I don’t need them. Those who didn’t want you will come in. There is no way anyone who didn’t want you in a position will want you to succeed.

Yes, he tried to do it by himself and wanted to set up his own structure against the one that built him. In fact, it did not take up to 100 days, and we saw it. We said something must be fundamentally wrong.

Forget about people who say you were asking him for money. You know, in politics, the moment you disagree on an issue, the only thing you can use to get the support of the people is that they are asking me for money.”

Recalling his tenure as governor, Wike maintained that he stayed entirely focused, which fueled his administration’s accomplishments that he hoped his successor would maintain for the collective benefit of the state.

“You have said here that Nigerians were astonished by me taking 31 days of commission and flag off, which no governor in this country has ever done. We were focused, but you see, he (Fubara) lost focus here.”

Addressing rumors that he demanded financial kickbacks from Governor Fubara, Wike firmly rejected the claims, calling them predictable maneuvers during political turmoil.

He questioned why he would solicit funds while serving as FCT Minister with a budget comparable to that of a state governor, emphasizing that such accusations lack logic and that his primary goal was simply for Fubara to stabilize governance and protect past achievements.