Nyesom Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the battle for the political control of Rivers State has effectively been won by his political structure.
He therefore extended an olive branch to former allies and opponents to return to what he described as a united political family.
Mr Wike, who made the remarks during a political luncheon in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Saturday, also warned individuals outside Rivers State against interfering in the state’s political affairs, insisting that any attempt to undermine its political stability would be resisted.
His comments were contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Deputy Director of Press in the Office of the Minister, Rabi Umar.
The former Rivers governor spoke against the backdrop of the prolonged political crisis that engulfed the state and led to a bitter fallout between him and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The political confrontation between Messrs Wike and Fubara has been widely described as a struggle for control of Rivers State’s political and financial architecture, escalating from an informal succession arrangement into a deep and sustained power contest.
The dispute, which began shortly after Mr Fubara assumed office in 2023, was rooted in disagreements over control of political appointments, access to state resources, and influence over the state’s governing party structure.
What initially appeared as a transition under a shared political understanding quickly degenerated into a full-blown crisis.
As tensions escalated, the Rivers State House of Assembly became a major battleground, splitting into rival factions. One bloc remained aligned with Mr Wike’s political network, while another group backed the governor, deepening institutional paralysis and political uncertainty within the state.
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