Siminalayi Fubara has acknowledged that he would not have become governor without the support of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking while dedicating an award, the governor said Wike’s backing brought him into the political spotlight and played a decisive role in his emergence as governor.
“I do not care how you interpret it or misinterpret it. I also dedicate this award to somebody who discovered me despite the situation — the Honourable Minister of the FCT, my oga, Nyesom Wike,” he said.
“Without him, I wouldn’t be standing here as governor. He discovered me, and that discovery gave me this loudness. Thank you for everything.
“I also dedicate this award to the people of Rivers State who have shown support, calmness and maturity that have brought us this far.”
Fubara and Wike had been locked in a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State.
A former Accountant-General of the state, Fubara was widely seen as Wike’s political protégé ahead of the 2023 governorship election, emerging as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party with the backing of the former governor.
However, their relationship later deteriorated, leading to a political standoff that split the Rivers State House of Assembly and sparked a fierce battle over control of the state’s political structure.
The crisis, which attracted national attention, was eventually eased following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who brokered peace between both camps and restored relative calm to the state’s political landscape.
