Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has questioned claims of political leadership in Rivers State, criticising Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s declaration of himself as “001” in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Fayose made the remarks during an exclusive interview on Arise TV aired on Tuesday, where he argued that political leadership within a state often extends beyond the sitting governor.
Drawing a comparison with Lagos State, Fayose said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu cannot be regarded as the political leader of the state, insisting that such authority rests with President Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor. To support his position, he cited the recent impeachment and subsequent reinstatement of the Lagos State House of Assembly speaker, describing the reversal as evidence of Tinubu’s overriding influence in the state’s political affairs.
Fayose also described the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State as a political lifeline for Governor Fubara, arguing that it saved him from imminent political extinction. He said that without the intervention, the governor could have been impeached and barred from future contests, adding that the situation should serve as a lesson in political maturity, similar to what he said he learned after his first term as governor.