A fresh war is brewing in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over the 2027 governorship, and House of Assembly tickets.
Fubara and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly, a leading Wike loyalist and frontline aspirant for the 2027 governorship race have both purchased the APC governorship ticket, a development that indicates that Fubara and Wike are still at daggers drawn.
Also, the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Tonye Cole has equally purchased the governorship ticket of the party, making it a three horse race for 2023. While Fubara remains silent on how to get the APC governorship ticket despite the insistence of Wike that during the last peace agreement, he (Fubara) allegedly told President Bola Tinubu that he won’t contest for re-election.
The governor has kept his game plan close to his chest, rarely mentioning anything about the 2927 election, a strategy that has kept even the FCT Minister on his toes, to counter whatever action Fubara takes. Fubara still enjoys widespread support across the state’s 23 local government areas, especially in the grassroots, and plans to ride on it to get re-elected.
But Wike has dismissed claims that there is widespread support for the governor to return in 2027, hence cannot claim to enjoy unanimous backing from the public. Wike, who spoke during his monthly media parley in Abuja, also explained that President Tinubu had addressed, particularly during impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara.
He also said that the President advised all parties to embrace peace, which led to the withdrawal of the impeachment move by the State House of Assembly against the governor.
The less talk and the emphasis on action by Fubara, whose purchase of the governorship form is a good statement that he is ready to fight for his political career and get another chance to govern the people of Rivers irrespective of whatever agreement reached in Abuja.
A delegation of APC stakeholders and political leaders led by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, member representing Andoni/ Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, had purchased the ticket for Fubara, claiming they bought it in the interest of Rivers people.
They stressed continuation beyond 2027 “in the overriding interest of Rivers people”, and insisted that the gesture aligns with Nigeria’s democratic culture. “This is not new, it is a democratic tradition rooted in the collective will of the people. “It is not about how deep your pocket is.
It is about what the people feel. “And the people of Rivers State have made their position clear they want continuity,” Abiante But George-Kelly Blasts, who is from the Kalabari axis of the state, has taken a swipe at Fubara for allegedly not being grateful to Wike for the role he played in his political rise.
George-Kelly, a former Commissioner for Works under both Wike and Fubara, said that Fubara could have remained a Level 14 civil servant if not for Wike, who made him a Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), Permanent Secretary, Accountant-General, and eventually governor.
George-Kelly declared that the Rivers State governor owes his entire political and public service rise to the FCT Minister, reminding the governor of his modest beginnings in the civil service before Wike’s intervention.
“If not for Nyesom Wike, Governor Fubara would have remained a Level 14 civil servant in the Ministry of Finance,” George-Kelly stated. He detailed the rapid career progression facilitated by Wike. A stakeholder from Eleme, Sir Oluji Joseph Epobari, PhD, has called on the people of the state to avoid being used by politicians to play divisive politics.
