Former Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned that supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not guarantee a return ticket for Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the 2027 governorship election. Wike made the statement during a weekend visit to Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, in what observers see as a further escalation of his prolonged political rift with his successor, a crisis that previously led to the burning of the State House of Assembly complex and the declaration of a state of emergency by President Tinubu.
Responding to Fubara’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and public declaration of support for President Tinubu, Wike dismissed the move as politically insignificant, saying, “The issue is not whether you support Tinubu or not. That decision was taken long ago… Supporting Tinubu will not earn anyone a ticket.” He added, “All those now chanting ‘on your mandate we stand’ failed when it mattered most… We have never wavered in our support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. When we take decisions, we do so out of conviction, not because of what others are doing.”