Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that political self-preservation and concerns over external forces attempting to hijack Rivers State were the primary reasons why his political camp resolved that Governor Siminalayi Fubara would not be supported for a second term in office.
Speaking during his live monthly media chat on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the former Rivers State governor disclosed that while both camps had initially considered setting aside their differences during peace negotiations, his supporters feared that allowing Fubara to consolidate power for another term would render his established political structure irrelevant.
Key Operational Highlights
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Threat of Political Irrelevance: Wike revealed that key stakeholders within his political family explicitly warned against allowing a second term, arguing that Fubara’s allies intended to completely dismantle their political influence in the state.
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Turning Against the Base: The FCT minister maintained that Fubara’s core mistake was attempting to build an independent structure and confront his political benefactors within his first 100 days in office, guided by individuals who had originally opposed his emergence as governor.
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Resisting External “Cash Cow” Exploitation: Wike alleged that external political figures and legal advisers encouraged the feud to exploit Rivers State’s treasury, stating that his camp stepped in to stop the state from being turned into a financial “cash cow”.
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Breach of Peace Agreement Terms: The minister noted that under earlier reconciliation efforts, lawmakers agreed to drop impeachment proceedings on the condition that Fubara would not seek re-election—making his eventual withdrawal from the primary race a mandatory outcome of that settlement.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RIVERS POLITICAL CRISIS & 2ND TERM MATRIX │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Lead Speaker : Nyesom Wike (FCT Minister & Former Rivers Gov) │
│ │
│ • Key Respondent : Siminalayi Fubara (Governor of Rivers State) │
│ │
│ • Primary Catalyst : Fubara's early attempt to dismantle the existing │
│ political structure within 100 days. │
│ │
│ • Core Decision : Denial of 2nd term backing driven by structural │
│ self-preservation and blocking external forces. │
│ │
│ • Settlement Terms : Impeachment dropped in exchange for commitment │
│ against seeking a second term in office. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘“They Said If You Allow This, We Are No Longer Relevant”
Reflecting on the internal calculations within his political network during the height of the peace talks, Minister Nyesom Wike explained:
“There was a time we all thought, we all agreed, and said, ‘Look, can we allow bygones to be bygones?’ But something fundamental came up in politics. They said, ‘Look, if you allow this now, there are those who are here who want to see that we are no longer politically relevant.’ At the end of the fight, I have not lost anything. What have I lost? Nothing. But you have lost. Your intention was to go for a second term, is it not correct? And you are not going.” — Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister
Addressing the role of third-party advisers who entered the governor’s inner circle following the rift, Wike added:
“Those who didn’t want you to be governor now became your friends. Obviously, they will destroy you, thinking that coming closer to you is to fight us… There are external forces who want to hijack Rivers State. You don’t allow them to hijack Rivers State. There are those who see Rivers State as a cash cow… We said no, this cash cow must end now.” — Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
