Former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has expressed his reservations over the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, stating he would have preferred Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s outright removal.

Former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has expressed his reservations over the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, stating he would have preferred Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s outright removal.

Wike made this known during a media parley held in Abuja on Friday, April 18, 2025. Addressing journalists, he said:

“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.

“However, people must tell the truth. The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the president did this, I say they should be praising him. Every morning, they should go to the president and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?”

The emergency declaration, announced by President Tinubu on March 18, 2025, came amid worsening political instability in Rivers State. The move led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the entire State House of Assembly for six months. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retd.) was appointed as the state’s interim administrator.

Wike, who has been at political odds with Fubara in recent months, acknowledged that while the decision was not his preferred route, he supports the president’s action as a necessary step to restore peace and order in the oil-rich state.

NigerDelta Insider