By Muhammad Muntazar
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that he is dissatisfied with the Presidential Proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.
Wike made this known during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing prolonged political unrest and recent security concerns, including pipeline explosions.
The president suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months and appointed Vice Admiral Ibas in their place, as the sole administrator to manage the state’s affairs until the crisis is resolved.
Tinubu described the decision as “inevitably compelling” based on security assessments—a move that has generated significant controversy nationwide.
Speaking during the media briefing, Wike, who was the immediate past governor of Rivers, revealed that he had wanted Fubara’s complete removal from office.
Wike argued that the governor’s position had become unsustainable even before the president’s intervention.
He said: “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers state. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state.
“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?’”
Wike and Fubara have been embroiled in a political feud since Fubara assumed office as governor. Their conflict stems from a power struggle over control of the state’s political and structural resources.
The dispute also divided the State House of Assembly, leading to the suspension of 27 lawmakers who later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It also resulted in the emergence of factional speakers and a parallel assembly.
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