Wike Vows Non-Interference As Fubara Resumes, Warns Against Jonathan 2027 Bid, Slams Atiku And Tambuwal
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that he will not interfere in the administration of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the latter resumes full executive powers following the end of a six-month state of emergency imposed by President Bola Tinubu.
In a wide-ranging interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Wike addressed the Rivers political crisis, the recent local government elections, calls for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2027 presidential bid, economic challenges, and took sharp aim at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal for alleged political inconsistency.
Wike dismissed allegations of attempting to influence appointments in Rivers State, emphasizing that Fubara should govern the oil-rich South-South state independently. “I cannot go and impose anything on the governor. Why would I impose anything on the governor? Assuming I go to the governor and say, ‘I want this,’ will the state collapse? I will not. I have no candidate, and I will not,” Wike said.
The political rift between Wike and Fubara began shortly after Fubara’s inauguration in May 2023. Tensions escalated in October when lawmakers loyal to Wike in the Rivers State House of Assembly moved to impeach Fubara. In response, Fubara ordered the demolition of the Assembly complex after a suspicious fire, forcing legislators to relocate. A December 2023 peace deal brokered by Tinubu, which saw Fubara cede appointments to Wike’s allies, collapsed, leading to Tinubu’s March 18, 2025, declaration of a state of emergency. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas was appointed sole administrator, suspending Fubara’s powers until the emergency was lifted on September 17, 2025.
Addressing the August 30 local government (LG) elections conducted under Ibas’s supervision by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Wike insisted Fubara was consulted. He recounted driving to Fubara’s residence at 1 a.m. to discuss the polls, countering claims of exclusion. “This is what Nigerians should know: the governor wanted to come and see me. I said, ‘No, you’re the governor.’ I drove to the governor’s house by 1 a.m.,” Wike said. “There’s nothing that was done that the governor wasn’t part of.” Fubara’s absence during the elections, Wike explained, was due to a family commitment abroad. Wike accused critics of spreading false narratives about the crisis.
On national politics, Wike cautioned against campaigns urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning they could destabilize Nigeria. “Anybody saying Jonathan should return because he will only do one term is only looking for a crisis. These are the same people who frustrated him in 2015. Why now? Jonathan has made a name for himself globally, and they just want to drag him into unnecessary conflict,” Wike argued, calling the push for a southern single-term presidency insincere.
The calls gained traction in August when Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed named Jonathan and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi as potential Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for 2027, praising Jonathan as “one of the most celebrated politicians in Nigeria today.”
Wike acknowledged Nigeria’s economic challenges but defended Tinubu’s “tough but necessary decisions.” “Yes, there is hardship, I agree. But no one can deny that this government is making efforts to improve things. I see the projects in Abuja daily; they are evidence that something is happening,” he said. He dismissed Atiku’s warnings of a potential revolution over hunger as hypocritical: “Atiku was vice president for eight years. Why didn’t he lay the foundation to prevent hunger then? Now he keeps talking about hunger and revolution. For me, I don’t even bother reading what he says, because there is no truth in it.”
Wike took a swipe at Atiku and former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, accusing them of political inconsistency and betrayal. Responding to Tambuwal’s September 6 Politics Today appearance, where he pledged loyalty to Atiku over Wike based on “governance values,” Wike retorted, “What do you mean by leadership and friendship? You cannot talk about leadership and ignore the person. These are people who have been consistently inconsistent. When you are a consistent betrayer, what do you expect?”
Wike alleged Tambuwal positioned himself for a Senate role had Atiku won the 2023 presidential election and accused both of switching parties for personal gain. He recalled supporting Tambuwal’s bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives against the PDP’s preference, highlighting their past alliance. Wike also criticized Atiku, Tambuwal, and Bukola Saraki for abandoning the PDP’s zoning arrangements in 2023, which he argued could have favored the South.
Tambuwal, in his earlier interview, insisted his disagreements with leaders like Jonathan and Wike were ideological, not personal. “When it comes to leadership of this country and leadership of the people, tomorrow, not even today, I would rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike. It is a collaboration. It is not something difficult,” he said, adding, “If Atiku comes in here and Wike requests my phone, I will give it to him as a personal friend.”
