‘No one wants to lose political relevance’ — Wike speaks on Rivers crisis

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the political crisis in Rivers is a party affair.

Wike spoke on Tuesday when a delegation of south-south leaders paid him a visit in Abuja.

“It is a party affair, the party knows how to resolve through their own mechanisms. It is not an ethnic affair,” Wike said.

“Our party is looking into it. That is what I will say. Every politician has his own interest.”

The minister also said no politician wants to be politically irrelevant by losing their base.

“Anybody who knows me, know too well that what I’d never take is threat. You know me, I would not agree. If heaven would come down let heaven come down,” he added.

“I have seen all kinds of abuses (on social media), I said I won’t talk. I know in politics… ‘Oh he said he should be bringing N20 billion every month. Because somebody did not give you N20 billion’. But nobody said this when I was fighting. Nobody said that.

“If you like accuse me from here to here, I won’t even have a sleepless night. Because as far as I am concerned, the right thing must be done.

“All of us want to maintain our political structures. Would you allow anybody to cut you off immediately?

“Everybody has a base isn’t it? If you take my base, am I not politically irrelevant? At the appropriate time, we would know who is right and who is wrong.”

This is the first time the former governor of Rivers would be speaking publicly on the political crisis in the south-south state.

The political crisis in the state took a new twist on Monday when some lawmakers in the house of assembly moved to impeach Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers.

Ehie Edison, Fubara’s ally, was removed as the leader of the state assembly but hours later, he was elected as the new speaker.

The crisis in the state is linked to a rumoured rift between Fubara and his predecessor Wike. 

On Tuesday, Wike and Fubara met at the presidential villa — the first sit-down between the duo since the crisis.

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi and chairman of the PDP governors forum, after a police council meeting at the presidential villa, said President Bola Tinubu has intervened in the crisis.

Subsequently, PDP governors after their meeting to discuss the turmoil, commended Tinubu for intervening in the crisis to restore peace.

The PDP had called on all actors in the state to “sheathe their swords and allow for a peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues”.