We’ll know who’s in charge of Rivers when the time comes, says Wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the individual who wields political control in Rivers would be known at the appropriate time.

Wike spoke on Saturday when he visited Victor Giadom, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bera, Gokana LGA of Rivers.

Alluding to the political crisis in the state, Wike said the person “in charge” of the state’s political structure would be unveiled soon.

“Forget about these hungry noisemakers on the road. When the time comes, we will know who is in charge and who is not in charge,” he said.

“I don’t know whether you understand what I am saying. There is a time for everything. There is a time to plant and there is a time to harvest.

“We have no time for politics. This is not the time for anybody to say: ‘I am for this, I am for that’. We have not reached that time. When the time comes, we will know who is who.”

The former Rivers governor said he is not moved by critical comments on social media. 

“If you like abuse me as you want. If you like, employ everybody on social media. Let me tell you: I have never bothered myself one day to know who is abusing me,” he said.

“Politics will come. We didn’t contest elections based on social media. We contested elections speaking to the people and they listened to us.”

RIVERS’ POLITICAL CRISIS

Wike and Siminalaya Fubara, his successor, have been at loggerheads over control of the political structure of the state.

The feud between both men sparked a political crisis in the state — one that led to the demolition of the state house of assembly complex.

In the wake of the crisis, Wike’s associates in the Rivers house of assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Fubara’s allies kicked against the impeachment moves.

Thereafter, 27 lawmakers in the state house of assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Subsequently, Edison Ehie, factional speaker of the Rivers assembly at the time, declared the seats of the lawmakers who defected vacant.

The political crisis also resulted in the resignation of some commissioners from Fubara’s cabinet.

On December 18, the governor and Wike agreed to end the political feud between them after President Bola Tinubu intervened.

Some of the resolutions reached at the meeting were that: All matters instituted in courts by the different factions should be “immediately” withdrawn, the 27 lawmakers who defected to the APC should be taken back as members of the assembly, and the impeachment proceedings against Fubara should be withdrawn.

The 27 lawmakers who signed the impeachment proceedings subsequently withdrew the notice against the governor.

On December 29, Ehie resigned as a member of the legislative chamber. He was subsequently appointed as chief of staff by Fubara.