The political crisis in Rivers State currently undergoing peace process may afterall snowball to a new fight not focusing on the gladiators inside Rivers State but shifting its locale to FCT Abuja . This is coming on the heels of seeming lost of confidence on one of the warring paries being a principal in the war drama. Mr President as a political strategist in his wisdom overlooked the direction of FCT Abuja Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as he consulted widely before his Presidential proclamation of State of Emergency in Rivers State on 18th of March,2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not new inanaging political crisis and the Rivers State incident is not being seen as a big one especially now that 2027 General elections preparatory maneuvering is ongoing by various interested office seeking politicians in Nigeria. For clarity President Tinubu wants to remove any baggage of burden in his quest to winning the support of Rivers State electorate come 2027 Presidential election. In this way he has started in earnest to build cordial relationship with the suspended Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubaraa member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP irrespective of the incoming peaceful resolution of the political quagmire in the state.
Back to the undisclosed visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London by Rivers State Govrrnor Fubara who was enroute to his vacation in Germany, it has to the conscients of many political pundits that there are more that meet the eyes going on between President Tinubu and Rivers State Governor Fubara. Rivers State’s mumber one citizen in the first week of June,2025 also paid visit to President Tinubu at his Burdillion Lagos Country home where the subject matter of the meeting never got revealed to Nigerians.
But some political strategists are now in the know that key issues being discussed may be unconnected with Governor Fubara pledging his loyalty to President Tinubu. Secondly, Governor Fubara must come clear on his political romance and relationship with Alhaki Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 PDP Presidential candidate and his supporters in Rivers State. No wonder, FCT Minister Wike in one of his Media interviews with BBC Pidgin English admitted that he has never being at war with his political son being Governor Fubara but suscintly put that he cannot allow those who never supported the emergence of Gov. Fubara as PDP Governorship candidate in 2022 to now take over what they never worked for. He continued to name the likes of Dr. Austin Opara,the former Deputy Speaker Federal House of Representatives, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, who’s the former Minister for Transportation, Barrister Celestine IOmehia, Prince Uche Secondus, the furmer National Chairman of PDP.
Truly the above named political big wigs in PDP collapsed the Alhani Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organization in Rivers and joined Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s administration whoch drew the anger in FCT Abuja Minister Wike and this worsened the political crisis between Gov. Fubara and Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
Thirdly, the Lagos visit by Governor Fubara must have also put down on the table his vision post Suspendion and how he can support the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA of President Tinubu as mid 2026, will witness the release of political timetable for various political activitues by Independent National Electoral Commission- INEC leading to various political Primary elections to position candidates in State House of Assembly, Federal House of Representatives,Senate and Governorship of each state of the federation. Winners amd losers surely must surface with political realignment before the 3027 general elections.
In Rivers State currentky FCT Abuja Minister Wike is leading in political party control with large and deep pockets of cash and his ability to dispense juicy poliitical offices to both APC and PDP members in Rivers stste except those APC members loyal to former Mimister for Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Rt.Honourable Barrister Chibuoke Rotimi Amaechi. Left alone after the High Court of Port Harcourt judicia division’s judgement which recognised Chief Emeka Beke an Amaechi ally as the legitimate Chairman of APC in Rivers state against the National Headquarters recognition of Chief Tony Chidigam Okocha
FCT Mimister Abuja Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is still political relevant in Rivers State politics as he has control of manority of the elected members of the National Assembly under the platform of PDP. In 2023 general elections he bought forms for all of them and they have been the backbone of his political structure in their various constituencies. He has recommended greater number of Rivers State politicians to be appointed into various Management Boards and Go erning Councils of several higher institutions in the country.
But Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze a member of APC in the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi camp has a different view about the political relevance of the FCT Abuja Minister Wike as wrote “ That man is bereft of good conscience. He knows they’re waiting for him in APC, to cut his ego to size. He believes in eye service. One leg in PDP and one in APC and you call yourself an asset.
“ You are only a reservoir of blackmail, greed,envy and ingratitude. Does it make sense? You betrayed and destroyed a party that made you what you claim to be today, and now singing the praises of Tinubu and APC.
“You want to reap where you did not sow. I have cautioned Wike severally he has dug his political grave, and the likes of Akpabio, Uzodinma, Umahi, Oshiomhole et.c are waiting for him in APC.”
By December 2025, the tenure of Chief Emeka Beke as state Chairman of factional APC will come to an end and Chief Tony Okocha the recognized Chairman of APC in Rivers State will play key roles in the upcoming political activities in Rivrs State. Will Chief Emeka Beke and his followers return to Tony Okocha’s leadership or will they move on to another yet to be registered political party by the Coalition Movement with Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as their leader? Time will tell as Suspended Gov. Fubara plays his game without encumbrances as much as he has re- aligned himself with his political godfather Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
-Emeka Amaefula
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