Amid the crisis rocking Rivers State, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike has given a condition for him to forgive Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his estranged political godson and successor. Wike, the immediate past Rivers governor, said he would let go of the wrongs Fubara has caused if he genuinely seeks forgiveness.
He stated this during a media parley on Friday in Abuja. When asked if he would forgive Fubara if he asks for it, Wike replied in the affirmative, saying: “Sincerely.”
Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads recently with their relationship deteriorating. The face-off between the two stems from a struggle for control of the state’s political and structural resources. The rift also affected the state House of Assembly, with 27 suspended members defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During the interview, Wike revealed that two governors approached him to resolve the feud between him and Fubara. Though he didn’t reveal the governors’ names, Wike said he told them he was resolved 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. But Wike said the president’s move saved Rivers from implosion, arguing that the decision to appoint a sole administrator following Fubara’s suspension was a step in the right direction.
“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.
