Amaechi: Fubara only popular because he’s anti-Wike

Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, says he will not take sides in the rivalry between Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, and Nyesom Wike.

Fubara succeeded Nyesom Wike, who is the current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), as governor in May 2023.

He was the accountant-general under Wike and had his support during the governorship election, but both men fell off shortly after Fubara assumed office.

The rift between Fubara and Wike has polarised the Rivers house of assembly.

In December 2023, 27 members of the assembly loyal to Wike defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking when he paid a visit to Okorinama West, a leader of the APC in Port Harcourt on Friday, Amaechi, who was also governor of the state from 2007 to 2015, said he would not support either Fubara or Wike.

Amaechi further said Fubara is only popular because of the public exchanges with Wike over political domination in Rivers.

“…a lot of our supporters that can’t stand hunger have joined either Sim or Wike. I will not join them. I will not join Sim, I will not join Wike,” he said.

“But don’t forget, they are not big without you people, I hope you know that. No big man is big without the grassroots’ support. And if you look at the Rivers state political followership, we have more people singing our praises than singing even Sim.

“What Sim thinks is popularity today is because he is anti-Wike. That is his popularity, not that Sim is the best man that has happened on earth. It is because he is anti-Wike and it is because the state is tired of Wike.”

Wike, who served as a chief of staff to Amaechi and succeeded him, is also said to have built his popularity as a result of his face-off with his predecessor.

Both politicians fell out after Amaechi defected to the APC and supported Muhammadu Buhari for president in 2015, while Wike, a governorship candidate of the PDP then, supported Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.