Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, says Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the biggest loser in the political crisis that engulfed the state, arguing that the governor lost political ground by following what he described as poor advice from his supporters.
Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike said the prolonged conflict cost Fubara control of key political institutions and weakened his chances of securing a second term.
According to the former Rivers governor, Fubara did not oversee the local government election that produced the current council chairmen after the Supreme Court nullified the earlier poll, and also failed to gain the support of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
"The governor is the biggest loser. Because of the people surrounding him and the advice they gave him, he did not secure a second term," Wike said.
Wike described impeachment as a constitutional process that is often deployed as a political tool, adding that political disputes sometimes require compromise to prevent further escalation.
"Impeachment is constitutionally provided for, but it is also used as a political tool. At a certain stage, for the interest of peace, you have to give and take," he said.
The FCT minister also questioned Fubara's political influence, noting that none of the 29 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly aligned with the governor during the crisis.
"He couldn't break the Assembly. What does that tell you?" Wike asked.
He blamed members of the governor's inner circle for escalating the dispute rather than helping to resolve it, singling out activist Ann-Kio Briggs among those he said misled the governor.
Wike recalled that he had publicly expressed confidence in Fubara's political future during the inauguration of the Ring Road project, saying completion of the project would strengthen the governor's re-election prospects.
"If you complete this Ring Road, nobody will stop your second term. I laid that foundation for you," he said.
Reflecting on the political fallout, Wike said he sympathised with Fubara but maintained that the governor had squandered an opportunity that came with little resistance.
"God gave you something on a platter of gold. As it stands now, the state has lost, and I have also lost because I wanted Rivers State to progress," he said.
The minister added that politics is ultimately about the struggle for power, while insisting that how power is exercised is a separate issue.
"Politics is not church. Politics is about power. What you use the power for is a different thing," Wike said.
