I Never Backed Emergency Rule In Rivers — Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has refuted claims of supporting declaration of emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor made this known during a media chat with selected journalists in Abuja on Monday, maintaining that he has no personal conflict with Governor Siminalayi Fubara despite escalating political tensions.

He explicitly distanced himself from the presidential move, saying, “I am not the President who declared a State of Emergency. If Mr. President had called me, I wouldn’t have agreed. I have never supported it.”

On his relationship with Governor Fubara, Wike struck a conciliatory yet pointed tone, “I do not have any crisis with him. Rather, the governor, unknown to me, gave himself to be the tool for those who could not fight me, to fight me.”

Wike framed the emergency rule as interventionist protection for Fubara amid impeachment threats.

“The declaration was to save the governor because he was almost impeached,” he said.

The minister, when asked on the crisis resolution, deferred to presidential authority, “He, Tinubu knows when to lift it, he has everything on his table. I don’t know.”