Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, one of the gladiators and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has positioned himself to potentially forgive the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his former protégé and successor, but only under specific conditions.
During a media chat on Friday in Abuja, Wike, who previously served as the governor of Rivers State, expressed a willingness to reconcile if Fubara truly seeks forgiveness.
Wike, when asked if whether he would forgive Fubara if he seeks his forgiveness, indicated his openness to mending ties if approached sincerely.
The relationship between the two leaders has soured significantly, primarily stemming from disputes over the control of the state’s political structure and resources.
The conflict has had ripple effects, including the defection of 27 members of the State House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The defectors, however, later denied defecting from the PDP to APC when their legislative seats were declared vacant.
During the media chat, the minister revealed that two fellow governors had approached him with hopes of mediating the ongoing feud.
Although he refrained from naming them, he, however, emphasised his readiness to seek peace with Fubara.
“These two governors came to me and I said, ‘look, I am here for peace. What does he want?’ and they said, ‘look, we will do everything.’”
However, he stressed that any moves toward reconciliation must be genuine. “In sincerity, if anybody comes, it must be in sincerity. The best opportunity was when the President intervened,” he said.
Wike also affirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, indicating that he desired the removal of Governor Fubara due to the state’s escalating crisis.
He argued that the President’s actions were necessary to prevent chaos, stating, “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state.
“The governor was gone. It is not in my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable, and that is why there is power play,” Wike stated.
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