Wike knocks Fubara over ₦600bn revelation, says politicians now ‘hovering’ over Rivers funds

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, over his public disclosure that he met about ₦600 billion in the state coffers following the lifting of the emergency rule.

Wike made the remarks on Saturday during a special Christmas carol event organised by his supporters in Rivers State.

According to the former Rivers governor, the announcement triggered renewed interest from politicians across the country who now frequent the state, allegedly seeking access to its resources under the guise of political support.

“If you have experience in Nigerian politics, Nigerian politicians like Rivers money. I can tell you that. Go and study it,” Wike said.

He argued that publicly revealing the size of funds in the state treasury was a political miscalculation that opened the door to opportunists.

“If you want to make money in Rivers today, I don’t know how you made the mistake of announcing that there is ₦600 billion,” he said.

“By announcing that, it has made some politicians in other states begin to hang around Rivers. I know them.”

Wike alleged that such politicians have adopted a pattern of publicly attacking him in order to ingratiate themselves with the state government and gain access to funds.

“They will now tell somebody here, ‘this Wike, enough is enough; Wike’s time has finished,’ and they will collect,” he said.

“For you to be able to suck that ₦600 billion, you must say ‘Wike’s time is over.’ That ₦600 billion you announced opened the whole thing.”

He further claimed that political endorsements and media headlines have become tools for extracting benefits from the state.

“Every day they put one front page saying they have adopted so-so person, and they collect,” Wike said.

“Everybody who comes to Rivers State today must say, ‘the President is happy with you,’ and they collect.”

Wike’s comments followed a recent visit to Rivers State by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who led a federal delegation as part of efforts to restore oil production in Ogoniland.

During the visit, Ribadu reportedly told Governor Fubara that President Bola Tinubu was pleased with his leadership, a statement Wike suggested is now being weaponised for political gain.

‘Stick to Agreements’

The FCT minister also warned politicians against reneging on agreements, stressing that failure to honour political pacts often carries long-term consequences.

“I want to advise us politicians: if you know you cannot abide by any agreement, don’t go into it,” Wike said.

“If you know you can’t keep it, say it. Anything I will not do, I will say I will not do it.”

In what appeared to be a veiled reference to Governor Fubara, Wike warned that decisions to abandon agreements would eventually “catch up” with those involved.

Wike’s remarks come amid Fubara’s reported defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move the FCT minister believes threatens earlier political understandings between both men.

It would be recalled that reports previously indicated that one of the conditions for Fubara’s reinstatement by President Tinubu was that he would not seek re-election in 2027.