‘There’s Only One Governor In Rivers’, Ohanaeze President-general Mbata Fires Back At Wike

Former lawmaker and President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Mbata, has fired back at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his recent comments on Rivers State politics, declaring that “there is only one governor in Rivers State” whether he likes it or not.

Mbata made the remarks during the 2025 Eneka Day Celebration in Obio/Akpor local government area of the State on Tuesday, which was attended by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

“There is only one governor in Rivers State, whether you like it oo, you don’t like it oo. If you like, shout from now till tomorrow,” Mbata said to the loud cheers of the crowd present, in an apparent response to Wike’s recent political statements about political leadership in the State.

Recall that earlier on Tuesday, Wike had stirred controversy during a visit to Khana local government area, where he told supporters that Rivers people would not repeat “past political mistakes” ahead of the 2027 general election.

“We won’t make mistakes again. The first one you have done, have they said thank you?” Wike asked the crowd, which chorused in response, “No!”

“So, if you make another mistake, that means they will drive you out,” he added, suggesting that residents must choose wisely in the next election cycle.

Though he did not mention Governor Fubara by name, political observers interpreted the statement as a veiled attack on his successor, with whom he has been locked in a prolonged political feud.

The rift between Wike and Fubara, once close allies, has dominated Rivers State politics since 2023. Their fallout led to a deep division within the ruling elite, triggering a constitutional standoff that saw parts of the state administration paralysed and Fubara temporarily suspended amid a state of emergency declaration by President Bola Tinubu.

The crisis further escalated after Governor Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December, a move seen as a political masterstroke aimed at consolidating his hold on power.

However, Wike dismissed the defection as “belated and politically insignificant,” insisting that leadership within a party is determined by structure, not office.

“Defecting to another party does not make you the leader,” Wike said during a recent end-of-year media parley in Port Harcourt.

“When you say you are joining a party, you must have something to offer. There’s nothing like 001. You register in your ward. If you are 001, it’s only in your ward. That is not leadership.”

The FCT Minister also pointed out that 22 local government chairmen and more than half of the Rivers State House of Assembly members had joined the APC before Fubara’s defection.

“He decamped with who?” Wike asked rhetorically. “Leadership is not because you are a governor or a minister. Leadership is about what you bring to the table.”

Wike further maintained that politics in Rivers State had moved beyond party affiliation, declaring that the state now operates under the ‘Renewed Hope’ political family, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s administration regardless of political parties.

“For us, there’s nothing like APC or PDP. What we have is Renewed Hope. We’re not voting based on party but on the fact that we belong to one political family — the Renewed Hope family,” Wike had stated.