The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has openly backed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, admitting he had hoped for the outright removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike made this known during a media parley with select journalists in Abuja on Friday, where he described Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers’ prolonged political crisis as a life-saving move for the oil-rich state.
“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 confessed. “But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy.”
Wike, who governed Rivers State for eight years, said those who criticize Tinubu’s actions should instead be grateful.
“The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so 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?’”
The Rivers State crisis, which brewed for months, escalated into a full-blown power tussle between Governor Fubara and lawmakers loyal to the Assembly’s Speaker, Martin Amaewhule.
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The Supreme Court, in February, ordered the lawmakers to resume sitting and directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop funding the state government until Fubara complied with prior court orders.
On March 19, President Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly for six months, citing security concerns. He declared a state of emergency in the state and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator.
Wike, describing the appointment as necessary, said, “Mr President came in and saved the situation, saved Rivers people from that calamity and anarchy.”
The decision continues to generate legal and political debate nationwide, with critics citing constitutional breaches, while supporters hail it as decisive leadership.