Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has commented on the decision of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to step away from the 2027 governorship race, linking the development to an alleged political understanding reached during the state’s ongoing crisis.
Wike made the remarks on Monday while inspecting major infrastructure projects across Abuja, where he also addressed the political situation in Rivers State and the internal dynamics of the ruling structure there.
According to him, a resolution had been reached earlier involving President Bola Tinubu, aimed at preventing escalation of impeachment proceedings in the Rivers State House of Assembly. He said the arrangement included mutual commitments from both sides.
“In the first place, he ought not to have collected the form because the agreement was reached that the impeachment should be dropped, while he should also not talk about a second tenure,” Wike said.
He added that the expectation was that all parties would adhere strictly to the terms reached during the intervention.
“We thought that Mr President had been intervening severally and pleading with the legislature not to continue with impeachment,” he said.
Wike also criticised the governor’s initial decision to pick up nomination forms despite the alleged understanding, describing it as inconsistent with the spirit of the agreement.
Turning to the political landscape in Rivers, the minister expressed support for the emergence of House of Representatives member Kingsley Chinda as a leading figure in the state’s governorship race.
“A good product markets itself. Everybody knows that Kingsley Chinda is the material. He’s quite experienced,” Wike said, adding that Chinda’s legislative experience made him a strong political contender.
He also suggested that Chinda’s profile had attracted interest across party lines due to his visibility and record in public office.
The minister made the comments while reviewing several ongoing projects in the Federal Capital Territory, including major road and housing developments such as the Renewed Hope City project in Kassara, the Old Keffi Road in Dei Dei, and the Airport Road–Kuje and Kuje–Gwagwalada corridors.
Other projects inspected include the City Gate project being executed by Julius Berger.
Wike praised the progress of the works, noting that several of them were nearing completion and ready for commissioning.
He also credited Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for initiating the City Gate project, describing it as a key contribution to ongoing infrastructure development in the capital.
