The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom
Wike, has publicly supported President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of
emergency in Rivers State—despite having originally favored the outright
removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike
praised Tinubu’s intervention as having “saved Rivers from implosion” after
months of political deadlock between Governor Fubara and the state’s House of
Assembly.
“As a
politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers
State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor,” Wike said. “But for the
interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in
the state.”
Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi
Odu, and the entire Rivers State House of Assembly for six months, citing
security concerns. He further appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as
sole administrator to oversee governance and forestall further unrest.
Wike urged Rivers residents to express gratitude to
the president.
“When people say the president did this, I say they
should be praising him. Every morning, they should go to the president and ask,
‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
Background to the Crisis
The state’s political turmoil dates back to late 2024,
when Speaker Martin Amaewhule and his faction of lawmakers clashed with
Governor Fubara over budget presentations and impeachment proceedings. In
February, the Supreme Court ordered Amaewhule’s assembly to resume sittings and
barred the Central Bank of Nigeria from withholding funds to Rivers State,
while dismissing Fubara’s challenge to the speaker’s legitimacy.
Despite the court ruling, tensions escalated as the
governor resisted reconvening the assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership.
Tinubu’s drastic step to suspend all principal officeholders and impose a sole
administrator marked the first use of emergency powers in a Nigerian state
since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
Looking Ahead
Wike insisted that the military-backed administration
would bring stability and warned against further political brinkmanship.
“Mr. President
came in and saved the situation—saved Rivers people from that calamity and
anarchy,” he said.
The state of emergency will remain in force for six
months, during which time Governor Fubara and his deputies are barred from
exercising any official duties. Observers will be watching closely to see
whether the sole administrator can restore peace and facilitate a return to
regular democratic governance.
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