Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has insisted that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is not the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, despite his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during an extended media chat on Wednesday, Wike mocked Fubara’s move to the APC, describing it as belated and incapable of guaranteeing victory in the 2027 governorship election. He maintained that political leadership in Rivers State remains firmly under his control, claiming that his loyalists dominate ward and local government structures across the state.
The former Rivers governor dismissed claims that Fubara’s defection automatically conferred APC leadership on him, arguing that the governor lacked the political structure required to lead the party. According to Wike, even before Fubara’s resignation from the PDP, 22 local government chairmen and more than half of the Rivers State House of Assembly members had already defected to the APC.
“Defection alone does not make anyone a leader,” Wike said. “You must bring value and structure. There is nothing like ‘001’ in party politics. Registration is done at ward and local government levels.”
He stressed that leadership is not determined by holding public office but by influence and political capital, citing Lagos State as an example where party leadership transcends official positions.
Wike also disclosed that he had resolved to leave the PDP, adding that his supporters across several states would follow him. Reiterating his open support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election, Wike said he had paid a price for that loyalty, noting that the PDP stood no chance of winning elections in the FCT.
On the Rivers political crisis, Wike blamed the collapse of the peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu on Governor Fubara, accusing him of failing to honour the terms and misrepresenting his relationship with the state legislature.
Addressing allegations by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that he promised to weaken the PDP ahead of 2027, Wike flatly denied the claim, describing it as a “blatant lie.” He said no such meeting ever occurred and accused Makinde of spreading falsehoods out of frustration.
Wike recalled his role in Makinde’s emergence as governor in 2019, insisting that Makinde only succeeded after being handed the PDP structure in Oyo State. He also questioned Makinde’s claims of financial capacity, stating that wealth alone does not translate to political strength.
The FCT minister clarified that the only post-election meeting involving Makinde and other PDP governors was a courtesy visit to President Tinubu, not a political negotiation. He accused Makinde of deliberately misrepresenting facts and challenged him to explain how a N50 billion federal grant for the Bodija explosion victims in Ibadan was utilised.
Wike further dismissed claims that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) poses a threat to Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that if any opposition party could challenge the APC, it should be the PDP. He described reports of ADC’s growing influence as “newspaper politics,” stressing that politics remains local.
At a separate event in Rivers State, Wike said APC and PDP members had effectively united under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Addressing youth and women leaders in Etche and Omuma local government areas, he said partisan labels had given way to collaboration for development and peace.
“In Rivers State, APC and PDP have collapsed into one family—the Renewed Hope family,” Wike declared, urging leaders to honour agreements and prioritise unity at the grassroots.
The PDP leadership said Wike’s comments during the media chat validated allegations of anti-party activities that led to his expulsion. In a statement by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party accused Wike of openly supporting the APC’s presumed 2027 presidential candidate while claiming PDP membership.
The party described Wike as a serial disruptor who thrives on conflict, recalling his role in successive leadership crises within the PDP, both nationally and in Rivers State. It accused him of imposing candidates, undermining party unity, and preventing the PDP’s presidential candidate from campaigning in Rivers State during the last election.
The PDP insisted that Wike and his allies had now openly aligned with the APC to undermine the party, warning that such arrangements were legally and morally indefensible. It reaffirmed its commitment to fielding a credible presidential candidate in 2027 and vowed to rebuild the party under its current leadership.
PDP Professionals also criticised Wike, saying his remarks reflected frustration over his failure to rally credible Nigerians behind Tinubu’s re-election bid. In a statement by its Protem National Coordinator, Obinna Nwachukwu, the group accused Wike of deploying insults, falsehoods, and diversionary tactics against party leaders, including Governor Makinde.
The group alleged that Wike was part of a broader scheme to weaken the PDP and pave the way for a one-party state ahead of 2027. It claimed his media chat exposed those behind court actions, internal crises, and alleged attempts to compromise electoral institutions against the PDP.
Describing Wike as politically isolated and lacking a genuine support base, the professionals said the PDP remained resilient and too deeply rooted to be derailed by personal ambition or internal sabotage.
