Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has stated that Rivers State will not descend into chaos if the Rivers State House of Assembly moves forward with impeaching Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid the ongoing political crisis.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike defended the legislature’s right to remove the governor if he is found guilty of impeachable offenses, including allegations that he withheld lawmakers’ salaries for months.
“If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. Am I a member of the Assembly? If you have committed an infraction of the constitution and the Assembly deems it fit to say you should be impeached, what’s wrong?”
Addressing concerns that impeaching Fubara could trigger unrest, Wike dismissed such claims as baseless.
“I have heard people say: ‘Oh, if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order’. Rubbish. Nothing will happen.”
Wike Accuses Judges of Misleading Politicians
Wike, who has been embroiled in a political battle with Fubara for months, also took aim at the judiciary, accusing some judges of misleading politicians by giving them false hope of legal victories.
“Some judges mislead politicians, making them believe they have a strong case, only for them to lose in court. If they win, they say judges collected money. If they lose, they keep quiet because they don’t want people to know they paid a bribe in the first place.”
Wike suggested that Fubara had been deceived into believing he would win a pending Supreme Court case, warning that such judicial assurances often amount to nothing.
“Simply because judicial merchants have told you, you will win. And that’s why I pity judges and justices.”
Wike Slams Fubara’s Leadership
The former Rivers governor further accused Fubara of arrogance, alleging that he was using state resources to assert dominance.
“Fubara has the temerity, the audacity, because he has money from FAAC, because he has money from IGR, to enter my family to remove a chief and make another person chief.”
Dismissing calls for reconciliation, Wike insisted that peace cannot be forced, especially when one side is relying on intimidation.
“If the assembly thinks that he (Fubara) committed an infraction and he knows he committed one, he should seek peace. It’s not by ‘gra-gra’ (force), it’s not by threats.”
Wike Reaffirms Loyalty to Tinubu
Despite political tensions, Wike emphasized that he remains firmly loyal to President Bola Tinubu and will continue to support him unconditionally.
“Even if you tell me I have to support someone, who is in the battle of who? I am the one that will champion Mr. President. I’m already doing it. You don’t preach that one to me.”
The feud between Wike and Fubara, which began shortly after the latter took office, has deepened political divisions in Rivers State. With accusations of judicial manipulation, political interference, and personal betrayals, the crisis shows no signs of resolution.
