Wike: I Will Not Impose Commissioners on Fubara

ByEditor

Sep 19, 2025 #Fubara, #Fubara’s Return, #Rivers State Emergency Rule, #Wike

Matilda Omonaiye/

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he will not nominate or impose commissioners on Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who is set to resume office after the six-month emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had imposed the emergency rule in March following the bitter political crisis between Wike, the former governor of the state, and his successor.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Wike dismissed speculations that he would influence the composition of Fubara’s cabinet.

“I cannot go and impose anything on the governor,” Wike said. “Why would I impose anything on the governor? Assuming I go to the governor and say, ‘I want this,’ will the state collapse? I will not. I have no candidate, and I will not.”

He added that even if Fubara sought his input, he would prefer to give him a free hand.

“Even if the governor comes to me now and says, ‘We have agreed we want to work together,’ which is natural, I will say, ‘Look, I give you free hand, you know how you want for the state.’ All I would like to say is, I know what I did and what I have done to keep this thing to this level. Don’t drop it, move ahead. As I speak to you, I left the state where we can compete favourably with Lagos.”

Fubara, who was expected to resume on Thursday, did not appear at the Government House in Port Harcourt where a crowd had gathered to welcome him back.

Reacting to his absence, Wike said there was no rule that required the governor to resume immediately.

“There is no law that says he must resume work today. He is the governor. You don’t understand the way we operate. Okay, I was sworn in today as the governor, for example, does not mean I will go to the office tomorrow. You don’t know what my programmes are, you don’t know what the governor has scheduled to do, you don’t know where he is.”

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