Our Reporter, Abuja
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has urged Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to stop his political confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, warning that President Bola Tinubu would not abandon Wike in favour of Fubara.
Fayose gave the advice during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, where he said the president he knows places a high premium on loyalty and gratitude and would not discard Wike, whom he described as a strong supporter of Tinubu’s administration.
According to Fayose, Governor Fubara should prioritise reconciliation and restraint rather than escalating the political crisis in Rivers State.
“The President Tinubu I know is a man who values gratitude. He will not dump Wike, who has been tremendously supportive of his government, for Governor Fubara—no matter what,” Fayose said.
He also cautioned the Rivers governor against engaging in a public battle over who is the political leader of the state.
“There’s a difference between holding office and being the political leader. What brought about the ‘001’? Who gave you the platform to call yourself the ‘001’? It is a sad narrative for Governor Fubara to be struggling. Rather, he should manage the situation. Even if Wike says he is the leader, it is not for Fubara to contest it. We all know the truth,” he added.
Fayose further appealed directly to Fubara to seek peace.
“Let me advise Governor Fubara again. Please, I’m begging you, go and make amends and be at peace,” he said.
Responding to claims that Fubara had apologised several times to Wike, Fayose drew a line between genuine reconciliation and apologies offered merely to douse tension. He warned that political allies urging the governor to “fight back” would abandon him if things went wrong.
“Those people leading on Governor Fubara, if he goes down today, they will run away. Those who told me to fight back in my own time were not there when I was isolated and alone,” Fayose stated.
The former governor also argued that the emergency rule imposed in Rivers State worked in Fubara’s favour, noting that impeachment would have effectively ended his political career.
“The emergency rule was all-winning for Governor Fubara. By now, he would have been history. Once you are impeached, you are out of the way and you can’t contest again,” Fayose said.
He urged Fubara to learn from history and understand the limits of power, stressing the supremacy of the constitution.
“The constitution is binding on everyone. That is why I am saying again: Governor Fubara should climb down from his high horse, look for his brother and leader—the man who was thoughtful enough to give him the platform to become governor—and make peace,” Fayose concluded.
