The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he was not surprised by the decision of Siminalayi Fubara to withdraw from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Rivers State.
Fubara announced his withdrawal from the race a day before the primary election, stating that his decision was driven by “conviction and sacrifice for the state to move forward in peace and unity.”
On May 21, Kingsley Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives and an ally of Wike, emerged winner of the Rivers APC governorship primary election.
Speaking on Monday while inspecting ongoing infrastructural projects in Abuja, Wike said Fubara should not have obtained the APC nomination form in the first place, citing an earlier political agreement between both camps.
“I’m not surprised that the governor withdrew. In the first place, he ought not to have collected the form because the agreement was reached that impeachment should be dropped, while he should also not talk about a second tenure,” Wike stated.
The former Rivers State governor also praised Chinda, describing him as a politician with the legislative and executive experience required to govern the state effectively.
The political rivalry between Wike and Fubara has dominated Rivers State politics for months, with both camps engaged in a prolonged power struggle that led to moves by lawmakers to impeach the governor.
Many of the Rivers State lawmakers who backed the impeachment process are known allies of Wike, further deepening the division within the state’s political structure.
Wike had previously vowed to oppose Fubara’s re-election ambition, accusing the governor of breaching the peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu in an effort to resolve the political crisis in Rivers State.
The latest development is expected to reshape the political landscape ahead of the next governorship election in the oil-rich South-South state.
