– Fubara is leader of APC in Rivers- National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda
By Olawale Lamina
The simmering political row between the FCT Minister and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara may have come to a head again as the FCT condemned his political protege for allegedly referring to him as a “barking dog.”
While addressing his political supporters, an angry Wike stated during a thank-you visit to Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State, challenged governor Fubara to disclose the promise he made during a peace meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Wike also revealed how Fubara’s choice for the governorship of the state had been a huge sacrifice, assuring that he would not make similar mistakes of supporting the governor come 2027 election: “Let me just say something, somebody said a dog is barking. This dog that is barking now, barked when Rivers people did not even know who the person was and the dog that barked made the person Governor. It is very unfortunate that the same dog is barking, I wish him good luck.
“We are not talking about party, all of us have decided that we are going to work for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is no discussion about that, but as far as the State is concerned we will take decision, and we are not going to do same mistake we made last time. We are here to correct the mistake.
“I heard somebody said those who worked for Atiku are back, they couldn’t do their duty 10 percent, so what is the political advantage. I won’t call their names but you all know them. We will do all we can to see that we give Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu all the total support that is required.”
He also claimed that Sim. Fubara allegedly reneged on his promise at the peace meeting with the presidency.
“Ewor (Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers, Dr. Robinson Ewor) had said what he has said here, the same person who sponsored him to go to the failed Ibadan Convention and he constituted Caretaker Committee (CTC), all of them nominated him for the so called CTC. Now the convention had failed, no other place to run to other than ‘On your mandate we stand’, we have taken that decision a long time ago. So, it doesn’t make sense to us. We have done it.
“Ewor had said as a leader, tell people what you discussed when you went for peace pact. You think today you can succeed the second one? Whoever that is assuring that when you shout ‘on your mandate.’ you will get the ticket is deceiving you.”
Wike, who capitalized on the challenges confronting his successor in leading and mobilizing political structures in the state said: : “Somebody who cannot relate with Council Chairmen, even discuss with the Assembly members, somebody who cannot sit down and discuss with National Assembly members, what kind of leadership do you want to provide?”
The FCT minister seized the occasion to attack his former loyalists now loyal to governor Fubara but refused to reveal his name for calling him a semi illiterate.
“Ordinarily, I won’t have bothered myself to say this, somebody who was a Senator said the Minister of FCT is semi illiterate. But the same person dropped out from Rivers State University when he was reading law, he couldn’t make it. I went to University of Port Harcourt, finished, went to same university that he went, read law, went to law school and came back and today, I am a life bencher.
“That same man contested for chairmanship of Obio/Akpor and failed. He sabotaged his party, and they lost at the tribunal. But I contested and won two times and I can show people what I did as chairman, as Minister of State, Education, before I became the Supervising Minister, and when I came as Governor in 2015, the same person was running around me and was signing contracts.
“For eight years, my records are there even as FCT Minister in Abuja. So, in politics when they cannot do what you are doing, they begin to say all kinds of things, you don’t need to bother yourself, ” Wike reacted to insult hurled at him.
He described ONELGA as no go area” for anyone other than his loyalusts, restating the fact that the state will be unanimous in working for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared Governor Sim Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State, despite the recent comment by Nyesom Wike that the governor should not be referring to himself as “No 1” in the state, being leader of the APC in Rivers.
Fubara may have drawn the ire of his former boss Wike, after his defection to the APC, as he declared himself the 001 of APC in the state, a declaration that unsettled the FCT minister and former governor of Rivers State.
Wike reacted to Fubara’s statement by dismissing his position, saying that rather, he controls the political structure in the state, since APC and the Peoples Democratic Party have teamed up to support President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
But, ina most recent development in connection with the ensuing rivalry, the APC National Chairman, Professor Yilwatda declared that he would support Fubara for a second term if he wins the party’s primaries.
That alone poses a challenge based on the disposition of the FCT minister to look beyond Fubara as likely candidate for the 2027 re-election. Analysts say, not withstanding Wike’s stance, the Rivers State governor would need to act fast to gather support from stakeholders and put measures in place to win majority to his side. This they described as onerous task to a governor they believe is still learning political strategies to successfully wage the battle before him.
But whether Fubara loses or wins, the APC appears set to turn whatever development to its political advantage in the state, following comments by the party’s national chairman during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Yilwatdawas quoted as saying: “Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state.
“I don’t choose who to support in the state’s primary election. If Fubara emerges as the APC candidate, I’ll support him.
“If he loses the primary, I’ll sympathise with him and go with the person who wins the primary election.”
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