Amid the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has outlined a condition for reconciling with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his estranged political protégé and successor.
Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, stated that he is willing to forgive Fubara if the governor genuinely seeks reconciliation.
He made this known during a media briefing on Friday in Abuja. When asked if he would forgive Fubara upon a sincere apology, Wike responded affirmatively, saying, “Sincerely.”
The relationship between Wike and Fubara has deteriorated recently, with tensions arising from a power struggle over the state’s political and structural resources.
The conflict has also impacted the state House of Assembly, where 27 members were suspended and subsequently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During the interview, Wike disclosed that two governors had approached him to mediate and resolve the dispute with Fubara.
While he did not name the governors, Wike affirmed his readiness to make peace with his successor.
“These two governors came to me and I said, ‘look, I am here for peace. What does he want?’ and they said, ‘look, we will do everything.’
“In sincerity, if anybody comes, it must be in sincerity. The best opportunity was when the President intervened,” Wike stated.
The minister also backed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, saying he wanted the removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the oil-rich state
“As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers state. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state.
“The matter is in court but people must say the truth. The governor was gone. It is not on my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable and that is why there is power plane,” Wike added.