Wike backs Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers, says Fubara should have been removed

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, saying he would have preferred the outright removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Wike, who spoke during a media parley with select journalists on Friday in Abuja, described the president’s decision as a necessary intervention to prevent the state from plunging into chaos.

Recall that President Tinubu had, last month, suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing prolonged political instability and security threats, including recent pipeline explosions.

The president also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) as the sole administrator of the state in what the presidency described as a temporary measure to stabilize governance and security.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers and political rival to Fubara, praised the emergency declaration as a “bold and timely” decision. According to him, Fubara had “lost control” of the state, and his suspension was a better option than watching the state descend into crisis.

While the decision continues to stir heated reactions across the country, Wike insisted that the emergency rule saved Rivers from total implosion, adding that Tinubu acted in the best interest of the state.