The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared his support for the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, insisting that he will not interfere with its constitutional duties.
Speaking at a civic reception in Abalama Town, Wike accused Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo, of orchestrating the state’s political crisis. He alleged that Danagogo used his elder brother, a judge, to issue an ex parte order declaring 27 lawmakers as defectors, which enabled the government to present the state budget to only a few legislators.
“This is the genesis of the crisis—Danagogo used his brother, a judge, to secure an ex parte order, destroying the state,” Wike stated.
The former governor also revealed that Siminalayi Fubara was not his initial choice as successor, claiming that Fubara had initially declined the position and recommended former Finance Commissioner Isaac Kamalu instead. However, political leaders, including OCJ Okocha, Chief Alabraba, and Seargent Awuse, convinced Wike to support Fubara in the spirit of fairness.
“At the final moment, Fubara himself said he was not interested, but we agreed on him for the sake of unity,” he explained.
Wike criticized Fubara’s advisers for misleading him into withholding lawmakers’ salaries for over a year, believing there would be no consequences.
“They told him to stop paying them, and now the consequences have come. I won’t stop the Assembly from doing its job,” he added.
Reaffirming his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, Wike pledged to support Tinubu’s re-election, emphasizing that politics should not be about “use and dump.”
“If the President had not given us this ministerial position, what would have become of us?” he asked. “We cannot allow those who betrayed us to now dictate for Rivers.”
He also warned that Fubara’s advisers were leading him toward failure, stressing that those who once opposed Fubara’s candidacy are now benefiting from his government. Wike vowed that his political allies would not be sidelined.
“The politics of use and dump must stop. We fought for this government, and we won’t be pushed aside,” he declared.
