The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s greatest political error was attempting to operate independently and build his own political structure shortly after taking office.
Speaking during a special media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike said he was surprised that Fubara began laying the foundation for his own political network less than 100 days after becoming governor.
According to the former Rivers governor, the move suggested that Fubara underestimated the political platform and individuals who supported his emergence as governor.
Wike explained that he had expected his successor to continue the developmental projects initiated by his administration so Rivers State could gradually rival Lagos in infrastructure. However, he said Fubara chose a different direction.
The FCT minister highlighted some of the major projects executed during his tenure, including the Port Harcourt Ring Road project linking several local government areas, as well as the construction of 12 flyovers, which he said enhanced infrastructure and transformed the outlook of Port Harcourt and its surrounding communities.
He maintained that political leaders must exercise caution in decision-making, arguing that Fubara’s actions widened the development gap he had hoped to close between Rivers and Lagos states.
Wike stated:
“In politics, you have to be careful. Some want you to succeed and make a name for yourself. The opportunity you have been given is not available to everyone. Some are unhappy and don’t want you there, so please be very careful.
“Remember, before I handed over to Governor Fubara, we did a church service, and I did say that you have been elected. In a few days, you will be sworn in. Now what do you want to achieve? See where I have stopped. My thinking is that we do need to compete with Lagos. We have laid the foundation; he (Fubara) should be able to continue from there; we will give you all the necessary support.”
He further alleged that Fubara was influenced by individuals who wanted him to clash with his predecessor, including politicians who had previously sought the governorship position.
“But listen, in this game you have your stone base (support); you have your village relation; you have all kinds and manner of people. Some will mean well by you; others will not.
“Now you just came to office; somebody now comes, yes, he is trying to support you. Must it be his name? Why not try now to put yourself, and people will know it is you?
“Yes, you came through him, but it is now you; all kinds of manner of things. Some will even go through your wife. Some people will go through your in-laws. So, people will go through your father and all kinds of things. So it now behooves you to sit and say, this kind of advice, where will it lead me to?
“You have to think well. If you make the mistake he made by saying, ‘Yes, I can do it alone; those who gave me support, I don’t care; I don’t need them.’ Those who didn’t want you will come in. There is no way anybody who didn’t want you to be in a position will want you to succeed.
“Yes, he tried to do it by himself, and he wanted to set up his own structure as against the structure that built him. In fact, it did not take up to 100 days, and we saw it. We said something must be fundamentally wrong. Forget about people who say you were asking him for money. You know one thing in politics is that the moment you disagree on an issue, the only thing you can use to get the support of the people is that they are asking me for money.”
Addressing allegations that he demanded money from Governor Fubara, Wike dismissed the claims as politically motivated, arguing that such accusations often surface whenever political allies fall out.
He questioned why he would seek financial support from the Rivers governor while serving as FCT minister with a budget comparable to that of a state, insisting that his only interest was to see the state remain stable and continue the developmental strides initiated during his administration.
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