Politics
Forced friendship: Wike, Fubara in fight to finish as peace deal crumbles
Fubara, on his part, broke his silence on Wednesday, April 3, as he promised to surprise his detractors if they dared him, referring to those stampeding him to implement all the items in the eight-point presidential proclamation.
But before the 2023 general election, the love between Fubara, the then Accountant-General of Rivers State, and Wike, then sitting governor, was, to say the least, deep and cordial. Among other considerations, Wike ruffled feathers within his camp, picked Fubara singlehandedly, and made him the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the build-up to the election.
Wike’s preference for Fubara, as believed in some quarters, was to ensure that his tracks for the eight years he governed the state were covered and for him to continue his hold on the state and keep his political structure intact.
Wike had his way and Fubara emerged the winner of the governorship election in the state and was sworn in accordingly on May 29, 2023. Barely five to six months into the new administration, things started turning awry between the successor and predecessor, who was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory by President Tinubu.
When Fubara became Governor, Wike ensured that seven commissioners who served under him were reappointed by Fubara. Not only that, they indeed retained the same positions in the new cabinet. He was alleged to have supervised all subsequent appointments in the new administration and called the shots on other salient issues bothering governance in the state. At some point, the situation did not go down well with Fubara, seen then as a loyal political godson, until the treatment he was getting became a mouthful.
Before the crisis, anytime the FCT Minister would visit Rivers, Fubara would have been at the Port Harcourt International Airport to welcome him and lead him to his abode; with the two political leaders seen together at many state functions. Months down the line, however, their relationship became frosty to the extent that the two political leaders stopped seeing eyeball to eyeball, let alone sitting together at state functions.
A case in point was in late October 2023 during the annual summit of the Nigerian Bar Association Young Lawyers Forum in Port Harcourt, held at the Justice Mary Odili Judicial Institute, where the FCT Minister delivered a lecture. At that event, with the theme: ‘Breaking Barriers: Creating Future Leaders in Nigeria from the Present and Next Generation of Young Lawyers’, Governor Fubara, who was to present the keynote address, was represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN.
Also in November 2023 during the unveiling of a book titled ‘Law and Society: ‘A Compendium of Speeches and Addresses’ written by the then outgoing Chairman of the Rivers State University Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor, Justice Iche Ndu, (retd) in Port Harcourt, Wike attended as the special guest of honour, while Fubara, who was the chief host and visitor to the University, was visibly absent. Sundry occasions point to the no love lost between ‘godfather and godson’ as it were.
Though these were a prelude to the main show, the would-be crisis, which some keen watchers of political events in the state predicted rightly, reached the rooftop when it was speculated in the camp of the FCT Minister that Fubara was hobnobbing with some known political foes of Wike, including the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar and members of his then-campaign organisation in Rivers State who fell out of favour with the former Governor for pitching their tent with Atiku in the 2023 election.
To give vent to their claims, within the same period, Fubara visited Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, both notably known for not supporting Wike’s bid to be the PDP vice-presidential standard-bearer for the election.
A few weeks afterwards, the state was thrown into crisis with the attempt by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly said to be loyal to the FCT Minister to commence the impeachment process against Fubara, which came after the bombing of the hallowed chamber of the state legislature. Wike had alleged that there was a plot to change the leadership of the Assembly, precisely to remove his kinsman and Speaker of the House, Honourable Martin Amaewhule, saying whoever wants to do that ‘will go first’, as he pointed out that he will not allow anyone to hijack the political structure which he had toiled over the years to build in the state.
While welcoming governors elected on the platform of the PDP in his office in Abuja, Wike commented for the first time on the feud between the State Assembly and the Governor, saying he would not allow anyone to intimidate him. He added, “They have talked about the crisis in Rivers State. Let me tell anybody who cares that nobody can intimidate me. It does not matter whether you go and bring thugs, or you say you are Ijaw. If I want to do something I will do it. Impeachment is not a military coup, it is provided for under the Constitution.”
The intervention of President Tinubu ushered in what some political pundits describe as a ‘first aid peace’ in the state because, according to them, the eight-point resolution put before the feuding parties mainly favoured his appointee, the FCT Minister, leaving the incumbent governor between a rock and hard place, though Wike on many occasions disagreed that he was favoured as he declared Fubara as the greatest beneficiary of the President’s intervention, with the resolution leading to the withdrawal of the impeachment process against the governor by the state House of Assembly.
Fubara too, on his return from the Abuja treaty, started implementing the agreements, including the re-appointment of the nine pro-Wike commissioners who resigned their positions in the heat of the crisis and payment of the withheld entitlements of the lawmakers, who had, in the spirit of the agreement, withdrawn the impeachment proceedings.
The issue of re-presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, which was hurriedly passed by four lawmakers led by the factional speaker, Edison Ehie and Governor Fubara signing it into law 24 hours after presentation, has yet unresolved as it is now a subject of litigation, following suits filed by some Rivers elders, one led by the pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe and the Rivers State Civil Society Organisation, led by its Chairman, Eneefa Georgewill.
The pro-Wike lawmakers have continued to make life difficult for Governor Fubara by vetoing him, amending and enacting laws without his assent, notably the Rivers State Local Government Law and the State Advertisement and Signage Law, which whittle down the powers of the Governor if implemented. The recent threat by the 27 lawmakers to resume impeachment proceedings against the Governor lends credence to the deepening crisis between the two parties.
Before Wike’s recent outburst where he ruled out the possibility of any reconciliation with Fubara, he had previously expressed disappointment at the conduct of his successor, saying he did not like ingrates and that ‘money’ and ‘power’ will always reveal the true nature of a person.
And, during his recent media chat, Wike took a swipe at Fubara and some PDP leaders in the state, including former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo; Celestine Omehia, Senator Lee Maeba and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Okpara.
A Port Harcourt-based public affairs analyst, Dr Kennedy Wakama, puts it succinctly that the statement by the FCT Minister signaled the collapse of the peace brokered by the President between Wike and Fubara, noting that it was a tale of two leaders trying to build their political dynasty.
Fubara, who had maintained silence even in the face of the fresh impeachment threat, finally drew the line. While commenting on the peace pact during a meeting with members of the National Union of Local Government Employees at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on April 3, Fubara made a veiled reference and warned his traducers thus, ‘If you dare me I will surprise you’.
The governor explained that he had been inundated with several comments in the media about the implementation of the peace initiative and had chosen to be silent out of maturity and wisdom.
The governor said: “Let me say it here for record purposes: What is happening here in our dear state is somebody who has respect for an elder. Mr President invited all the parties to Abuja and came out with a resolution that we should go and implement. That resolution, I am implementing. It is not a constitutional implementation. It is a political solution to a problem. And I am doing it because of the respect I have for Mr President. But, let me say it here, if that action that I have accepted to take is seen as a weakness, I will surprise them. I want this message to go to them.”
Fubara said he had since then commenced implementation of the agreement, solely because of his respect for President Tinubu, but cautioned that it appears that other political actors have taken his humility and compliance as a sign of weakness.
While urging the NULGE members and people of the state to continue to support his administration, show understanding over actions taken, and peacefully obey the rules, he threw another salvo: “When you are doing what is right, I will stand by you. Nobody, whether full or half, is going to intimidate you. Brace up, I say brace up, because the next step, it will be fire for fire in Rivers State. Everything will be implemented.”
In another show of strength, Fubara, the next day, while flagging off the Port Harcourt International Automobile Spare Parts Trading and Commercial Centre project in Iriebe in Obio/Akpo LGA, Rivers State, said, “You can see how restless they have been since I made just one statement, yesterday. We will continue to make them restless. They won’t know where we are coming from. We will also continue to hit them hard the way we hit them yesterday.”
Like a ding-dong affair, reactions have continued to greet the Governor’s outburst. The Chairman of the State APC Caretaker Committee, Chief Tony Okocha, a day after, accused Fubara of fanning the embers of war, adding that his comments were disrespectful to the President.
Commenting on the issue, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications when Wike held sway as Governor, Dr Emma Okah, said the former governor should concentrate on his assignment in Abuja and allow his successor alone to work.
Okah stated, “You cannot constantly be coming here to be disturbing the peace of the state. This ordinarily you wouldn’t have taken as governor here. You would not have allowed the minister of anybody at all from outside to come and do what he is doing to the governor.
“The fact is, your tenure as governor has ended and another person has taken over. You cannot tell the person to keep enmity with people, especially when they don’t have direct problems. The best we can do as a state is to encourage the Governor to bring everybody on board.”
Dr Okah further said, “The former governor should appreciate the fact that he is no longer the governor of Rivers State. His interest should be how to support his successor to succeed. He cannot continue to act as if he does not want his successor to succeed. He is not helping the state, he is overheating the system and people are getting distracted.”
On the way forward, he said the current political crisis in the state would be over if the former governor placed the interest of the state above his interest.
“The former governor and the present governor should sit down and discuss and I’m sure in less than 30 minutes, they will be able to resolve their problems,” he said.
Some residents in the state and watchers of the unfolding events have opined that the breakdown of the peace pact is good for the state, saying the state of Rivers should not be under the control of an individual.
Already, insinuations are rife that Governor Fubara plans to use administrators to run the LGAs until such a time he considers fit to conduct the council election, especially going by the recent amendment of the Rivers State Local Government Law by the State House of Assembly, which makes provision for the extension of the tenure of the current council chairmen.
This had informed the alarm raised by the State APC caretaker committee chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, during a news briefing on April 3, where he alleged that the party had uncovered a plot by Governor Fubara to procure a court injunction to declare the State House of Assembly and the laws it enacted nay amended within the period of the crisis illegal, though Fubara’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, described the allegation as outright falsehood.
Okocha stated, “I want to use this opportunity to inform Rivers people and Nigerians of the move by the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to procure interim court orders from judges that I may not name here, but I will put in my petition today at the National Judicial Council.
“He (Fubara) wants to procure an interim order stopping the implementation of the laws which he was vetoed over. He wants to procure an order to announce as illegal the Rivers State House of Assembly as constituted and as led by Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.”
While noting that the APC as a leading opposition party in the state will resist the move, he added, “These are the plans that are on and he is doing that so that he will now leverage on that order to go ahead to appoint caretaker committees in local government, against the warning of the man he says he respects, the President.”
PUNCH
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed a public debate challenge from the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, saying the minister must first become a presidential candidate before seeking such an engagement.
Obi made the remark during an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, where he responded to Umahi’s challenge following his criticism of the condition of Nigerian road.
The former Anambra State governor argued that presidential debates are reserved for candidates seeking the nation’s highest office, insisting that Umahi does not fit that category.
According to Obi, the controversy over the poor state of the roads had already produced results, noting that his criticism prompted repairs.
“If he is inviting me to a debate as a presidential candidate, then he has to become a presidential candidate first,” Obi said.
Drawing an analogy with international football, the NDC presidential flagbearer likened Umahi’s challenge to a team that failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup inviting a qualified team to a match.“The World Cup is going on now. You cannot stay outside and invite a team that qualified for the World Cup to come and play against you simply because you think you are good. No. There is a qualification process,” he added.
Obi maintained that leadership should be measured by performance rather than rhetoric, suggesting that the repairs carried out after his criticism underscored the importance of holding public officials accountable.
His response comes days after Umahi declared that Obi posed no political threat to President Bola Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while challenging him to a public debate over the state of federal roads and infrastructure across the country.
Ada Ogbu, who made the clarification in a statement posted on her official X account on Saturday, was responding to Keyamo’s ultimatum demanding that Obi apologise to airport officials, pay a ₦25,000 parking fine or face action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).Executive Branch
Ogbu, who described herself as an eyewitness, maintained that she was among those who accompanied Obi to the airport on Saturday, July 4, and categorically denied the minister’s claim that the politician was driven by a police officer.
“As a member of the team that accompanied His Excellency @PeterObi to the Abuja airport on Saturday, July 4, I can state categorically that he does not have a police officer as his driver in Abuja. Therefore, if airport CCTV captured a police officer entering the driver’s seat of a vehicle, that vehicle could not have been Mr. Obi’s,” she stated.
She further argued that the incident highlighted by Keyamo was different from the one Obi narrated during his interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
According to her, Obi’s frequent travels across the country have exposed him and his aides to repeated hostile treatment by airport personnel.Government
“It is also important to note that Mr. Obi travels through as many as ten Nigerian airports every week. Over time, there have been several acts of hostility directed at him and members of his team by airport personnel across different locations,” Ogbu said.
She concluded that the aviation minister had referenced an entirely separate incident.
“Based on the account shared by the Honourable Minister, it is clear that the incident Mr. Obi referenced during his interview with @Chude did not occur on the date or at the airport cited by the Minister. They are plainly two different incidents.”
Her reaction comes hours after Keyamo released CCTV-based findings from an internal inquiry into the airport incident, insisting Obi must publicly apologise to airport workers and pay the prescribed parking fine within one week or risk further action by FAAN.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday formally retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
This was as political parties made last-minute moves to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The ruling All Progressives Congress presented the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja for onward transmission to INEC, effectively ending months of speculation that the President could replace his deputy with a northern Christian.
The development came as INEC confirmed that it had received the presidential and vice-presidential nominations of the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and Young Progressives Party.
Meanwhile, several other political parties continued uploading the names of their candidates ahead of the commission’s Saturday midnight deadline.
The electoral commission had fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The submission exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
According to the timetable released by the commission, political parties are expected to begin uploading the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates from July 18, with the exercise ending on August 8.
INEC is scheduled to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29 to allow members of the public raise objections where necessary.
The commission also fixed August 22 as the deadline for the withdrawal and substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until September 19 for withdrawal or replacement in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The July 11 deadline marks one of the most critical stages in the build-up to the 2027 general elections, as only candidates validly nominated by political parties through primaries monitored by INEC are eligible for submission.
The commission had repeatedly warned political parties against submitting the names of candidates different from those who emerged from duly monitored primaries, insisting that any nomination outside the provisions of the Electoral Act and its regulations would be rejected.
Against this backdrop, the APC used Friday’s presentation ceremony to publicly affirm its presidential ticket, signalling that it would head into the 2027 contest without altering the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.
Following President Tinubu’s emergence as the APC’s presidential candidate during the party’s convention, political discussions had intensified over whether the President would retain Shettima or opt for another running mate to broaden the party’s electoral appeal.
Those speculations gathered momentum in recent months amid reports that the ruling party was considering a northern Christian as vice-presidential candidate to address concerns over religious balancing.
Friday’s submission, however, ended the uncertainty, with the APC formally presenting Tinubu and Shettima as its flag bearers for the 2027 election.
The nomination documents were presented on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state chairmen of the party and APC governorship candidates.
Earlier, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the event as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu noted that President Tinubu had earlier secured the party’s presidential ticket through what he described as a transparent primary election, and urged party members to remain united ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also commended the President for what he described as the achievements of his administration before formally handing over the nomination documents to the APC National Chairman for onward submission to INEC.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ support for President Tinubu and the party leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
Uzodimma said the APC remained committed to internal democracy and inclusiveness, adding that the governors would continue mobilising support for the President across the country.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he added.
Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, described the event as a reflection of the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by millions of party members across the country.
According to him, the President’s endorsement by members of the party demonstrated widespread support for his administration and its policies.
He stated, “Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr. President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that APC members across the country cast over 12 million votes for Mr. President and overwhelmingly endorsed him.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has responded to recent remarks by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, , agreeing that President Bola Tinubu has done his best to address Nigeria’s security challenges but arguing that his best is no longer enough.
Obi made the remarks during an interview with Chude Jideonwo, uploaded on YouTube on Thursday, while explaining why Nigerians should support his presidential ambition over other opposition candidates.
Asked why he should be elected president, Obi urged Nigerians to evaluate his past record alongside his current vision for the country.
“It’s for you to look at my past and look at what I’m saying now,” he said.
Responding to Adeboye’s recent comments on Tinubu’s handling of insecurity, Obi described the respected cleric as a sincere and credible religious leader whose assessment was fair.
“Somebody asked me yesterday, they said that Pastor Adeboye said Tinubu has tried his best and he’s not happy. And I said, no, Pastor Adeboye remains a very revered, respected religious father, whom I believe in his genuineness and goodness.
“And what he said was correct. He said he has tried his best. He’s trying his best. That’s it. It’s the correct answer.
“The question to ask is: Is his best good enough? Where we find ourselves today, that leads to the issue of capacity.”
Obi maintained that effective leadership is defined by competence, capacity, compassion, commitment and character, arguing that Nigeria’s persistent security challenges demonstrate the need for a leadership change.
“When I talk about leadership, I say competence, capacity, compassion, commitment, character. These are the issues. President Tinubu is tired. He needs to go home and rest,” Obi said.
Adeboye had earlier defended President Tinubu against criticisms over worsening insecurity during the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala organised by the Save Nigeria Group in Washington, D.C., on June 23.
The cleric argued that the President had fulfilled his responsibility by issuing directives to the military, stressing that a commander-in-chief was not expected to personally participate in combat operations.
“I don’t support those who are accusing the President of not doing enough. When the commander-in-chief has given instructions to his subordinates, he has done his bit. You don’t expect him to go and put on khaki and fight,” Adeboye said.
Despite defending the President’s role, Adeboye expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation, noting that terrorism and kidnapping had spread beyond northern Nigeria into the southern parts of the country.
He also revealed that he advised the President to issue a 90-day ultimatum to military commanders to either end the insecurity or resign, while urging the government to identify and prosecute those sponsoring terrorist activities.
-
News5 days agoPolice Inspector Dies in Alleged Police Convoy Accident in Enugu
-
Entertainment4 days agoI have cancer,’ Nollywood actress Cynthia Anijekwu cries, calls for support
-
Crime4 days agoEx-Minister Uche Nnaji Set for Arraignment as ICPC Files Six Criminal Charges Over Alleged Certificate Forgery
-
Politics4 days ago2027: Nwifuru Plays Safe as Cold War Brews, Denies Rift with Wike
-
News4 days agoGovernor Mbah’s Compassionate Gesture Brings Relief to Enugu Fire Victims
-
Politics4 days agoSenate: Odoh Unveils Vision to Make Ebonyi Central Globally Competitive
-
News4 days agoQuestions Persist As Almajiri Commissions Attempts to Defend Projects Outside Its Mandate
-
Crime4 days agoEnugu Police Impound 195 Vehicles Over Registration, Number Plate Violations