Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has acknowledged that he would not have become governor without the support of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying the former governor was the one who brought him into the political spotlight.
Fubara made the statement on Friday while receiving the New Telegraph Man of the Year Award, an honour he publicly dedicated to Wike despite the ongoing political tension between them.
According to the governor, Wike played a decisive role in his rise to prominence and eventual emergence as governor.
“I don’t care how anyone chooses to interpret or misinterpret it. I dedicate this award to the person who discovered me, regardless of the current situation — the Honourable Minister of the FCT, my oga, Nyesom Wike,” Fubara said.
“Without him, I would not be standing here today as governor. He discovered me, and that discovery gave me this recognition. Thank you for everything.”
He also dedicated the award to the people of Rivers State, praising them for their patience, maturity, and support amid the political turbulence in the state.
Fubara and Wike have been locked in a long-running political disagreement that has deeply affected the political structure of Rivers State.
Fubara, who previously served as the Accountant-General of the state, was widely seen as Wike’s political ally and beneficiary. He became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate ahead of the 2023 election with strong backing from Wike.
However, their relationship later deteriorated, sparking a political crisis that divided the Rivers State House of Assembly and led to intense struggles for control of the state’s political machinery.
The crisis attracted national attention but was eventually eased after President Bola Tinubu intervened and facilitated reconciliation between both camps, restoring a level of stability to the state’s political atmosphere.
