Rivers State political actors have criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his alleged move to stop Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s re-election.

Wike had claimed that there was an agreement reached with Fubara, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last month, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), not to contest the 2027 gov- ernorship election. He said this during a thank-you visit to the Gokana Local Government Area on New Year’s Eve.

In a similar thank-you visit to the Tai LGA, Wike said he will soon reveal the details of the peace agreement reached between him and the governor before President Bola Tinubu. In Gokana, the minister met with APC National Vice Chairman (South South), Victor Giadom, Magnus Abe, and other APC leaders.

Giadom said Fubara must pass through Wike to get anything in the council. But triggered outrage on social media, with some critics saying Giadom’s comment was an insult to Fubara. An Ogoni leader, Fabeke Douglas, in his social media post, said it was an error for Giadom to refer to Fubara as “so-called governor”

He said: “Politics, to me, is about distinguishing between effective and ineffective leadership, rather than resorting to personal attacks. It’s disappointing to see individuals from Ogoni resorting to insults.” Emeka Mba said: “A man in authority by posi- tion as the APC National Vice Chairman came out publicly and dismissed the constituted authority of his state as ‘the so-called Governor of Rivers State”.