Lere Olayinka: Fubara may be governor, but Wike is his leader

Lere Olayinka says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), remains the political leader of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state.

Olayinka, Wike’s senior special assistant on public communication and social media, spoke on Wednesday when he featured on Prime Time, a programme on Arise TV.

“Fubara is a leader, but leaders have leaders. I am a boy now to somebody but there are people who are also boys to me. The person that I am a boy to is also a boy to somebody,” he said.

“Fubara is a leader, but Fubara has a leader and that leader is Nyesom Wike. Fubara has somebody who, on his own, made him governor and that person is Wike, and that person is his leader.”

Olayinka accused Fubara of being a betrayer, pinpointing that as a factor in his frosty relationship with Wike.

“You have a Fubara who has been a betrayer from the beginning before he became governor,” he said.

Fubara and Wike are locked in a power struggle in the state.

On December 18, 2023, Fubara and Wike agreed to end the conflict after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The peace deal was signed at the presidential villa.

Weeks later, the peace agreement fell apart, reigniting the power struggle between both politicians.

The political crisis in Rivers state culminated in an attempt to impeach Fubara.

Wike has repeatedly ruled out reconciling with Fubara, accusing the governor and his camp of refusing to implement the president’s directives.

Fubara would later claim that he was “ambushed” to sign the peace deal with Wike’s camp.

“I want to tell you that we went to Abuja and Mr President, knowing the importance of peace in Rivers state, brought out some conditions,” he said.

“We came back here to this state. First, we did everything that had to be done with those conditions.

“We went to court immediately, and withdrew our matters, but they did not. And you call yourself honourable, when you cannot even obey simple instructions. And you blame it on Fubara.”