The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he often wept when he thinks about the alleged acts of betrayal shown to him by the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike made this statement during a media parley in Abuja on Monday while reacting to questions about the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State and his fallout with Fubara, who was suspended from office since March 2025.
“When I go back to my quiet moments, I play the video of speeches of the governor (Fubara), what he said, what he did to me, I weep,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor added that he often asked himself if Fubara’s actions toward him were necessary, despite the role he played to ensure he succeeded him.
“This is somebody who brought you, gave you food, gave you everything, did this to you, and then you became a tool for his enemies to fight him,” Wike lamented.
The FCT Minister also announced his intention to lead the People’s Democratic Party campaign during the 2027 presidential election.
He responded to accusations of undermining the PDP while serving in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, an opposition party member.
“I am still in PDP. I worked hard for the party. I have not seen anybody who has the guts to tell me, ‘Wike, you are not a member of the party.’ Who is that? What is his contribution to the party that is more than me?
“No one will take me from the party. I’m a member. In fact, I’ll lead the PDP campaign in Rivers by 2027,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor’s comments come amid tensions within the PDP, where some members have accused him of betrayal and sabotaging the party over his involvement with the President Bola Tinubu administration.
Wike, during the interview, said he finds satisfaction in challenging powerful interests, particularly in his current role as FCT Minister.
He said, “Look at what we are doing differently. People have said that FCT was not working (but) now it is working which means I’m doing things that they (past FCT ministers) refused to do.
“I found out that most of them didn’t have the courage to annoy people, to step on toes but I take joy when I step on the toes of big men; those who say nothing will happen but I say something will happen. It makes me happy.
“All they want me to do is to make decisions against poor people saying nothing will happen to them but I say something will happen. That is why we are making results. If you don’t do the right thing, too bad. I don’t care.”
On the political crisis in Rivers State, Wike denied any personal conflict with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and said he would not have supported the declaration of a state of emergency in the state had President Tinubu consulted him.
“I don’t have any crisis with Fubara. I am not the president who declared the state of emergency. If Mr. President had called me that time, I wouldn’t have agreed on a state of emergency.”
Wike insisted that he never played anti-party politics, despite his support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.
He also noted that despite agreements for a Southern candidacy for President, the leadership had supported former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, causing him to withdraw support.
“In 2023, did I not tell you that I wouldn’t support their presidential candidate? I said, based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should go to the South because you can’t have that and the national chairman at the same time.
“You therefore take one and give us one. Believing that Atiku would win, they said to hell (with it), and I said I was not going to support.
“So why didn’t I leave the party and join the APC? Of all of us then and the PDP governors today, who produced the National Assembly 100 percent? Who produced a governor? Ask them in their various states how many senators they have,” he said.
He added, “Bode George supported the Labour Party, and I said I wouldn’t support (Obi). I’m a politician, and I said even if you support this man (Obi), he can’t win the election, so let’s forget about sentiment. “So, George and everybody agreed to support a Southern candidate, we all agreed.
“So what offence did I commit by supporting Tinubu under the APC? If I was playing anti-party, the PDP wouldn’t have won the governorship, NASS seats and Rivers was the only state that gave the PDP that kind of victory.”
Wike’s remarks come amid growing tensions within the PDP over his role in the current administration and his perceived political positioning.
But the former governor of Rivers State made it clear that his loyalty to the PDP remains, and he won’t be pushed out easily.
He also criticised former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recent “I’m hungry” remark.
Wike asserted that the ex-Rivers State governor is hungry for power, not food, contrary to Amaechi’s claim.
Amaechi had, during an event marking his 60th birthday last week, commented on the state of the economy, stating, “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power.
“In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
Responding to this, Wike said, “We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.
“He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years.
“Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure. How can you trivialise the issue of hunger? He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. It is clear he cannot stay out of power. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger. He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign Director General.
“Thank God we did not support the PDP; otherwise, he would have taken the glory. He is now in a coalition. I don’t like to talk much. Let them form their team and start from home in Rivers.
“Let’s see how he plans to remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term ‘removal’ is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup. Nigerians remember what happened in 2015, and now he claims Nigerians are hungry.
“I am not a liability; I am an asset. You may dislike me, but I am an asset in ensuring President Tinubu wins a second term.”
Both Wike and Amaechi served as governors of Rivers State. Amaechi was a two-term governor from 2007 to 2015 before being appointed Minister of Transportation by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He also chaired the Nigerian Governors’ Forum from 2011 to 2015.
Prior to his governorship, Amaechi was Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007 and served as the pioneer chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.