The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he was not surprised by reports that Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the Rivers State governorship race, revealing that there had been a prior agreement that the governor would not seek a second term.
Wike made the remarks on Monday while inspecting major infrastructure projects in Abuja.
According to the former Rivers State governor, the political arrangement reached during efforts to resolve the crisis in Rivers State included an understanding that impeachment proceedings against Fubara would be dropped while the governor would not pursue re-election.
“I’m not surprised that the governor withdrew. In the first place, he ought not to have collected the form because the agreement was reached that impeachment should be dropped while he should also not talk about second tenure,” Wike said.
The FCT minister accused Fubara of failing to honour what he described as a gentleman’s agreement by initially moving toward another governorship bid despite the earlier understanding among political stakeholders.
Wike also stated that Bola Ahmed Tinubu had intervened several times to restore peace in Rivers State and persuaded lawmakers not to proceed with impeachment moves against Fubara.
According to him, the political settlement that prevented the governor’s removal also came with obligations that included stepping away from a second-term ambition.
The minister also defended the emergence of Kingsley Chinda as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.
Describing Chinda as experienced and politically grounded, Wike argued that the lawmaker’s background in both the executive and legislative arms of government made him qualified for the governorship position.
“A good product markets itself. Everybody knows that Kingsley Chinda is the material. He is quite experienced. He has worked with the executive and now in the legislature,” Wike stated.
He added that Chinda’s political structure, experience and public recognition made his emergence unsurprising.
Beyond politics, Wike also inspected several ongoing infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory and expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work.
Among the projects visited were the Renewed Hope City road project in Karsana, the Old Keffi Road, the Dei-Dei road project, the Airport Road to Kuje Road project, the Kuje-Gwagwalada road project, and the City Gate project being handled by Julius Berger.
Wike praised contractors for maintaining project timelines and credited Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for initiating the City Gate project.
“When you have a good woman who means well for the administration of her husband, I’m talking about the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, this is her brainchild,” he said.
According to him, the transformation of Abuja’s entrance would significantly improve the city’s appearance, especially at night.
What You Should Know
The political crisis in Rivers State has remained one of Nigeria’s most closely watched political battles since the fallout between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former political ally, Nyesom Wike.
The dispute led to tensions within the state assembly, impeachment threats and repeated interventions by President Bola Tinubu.
The latest comments by Wike suggest that behind-the-scenes political agreements may have shaped recent developments in Rivers politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
