Wike vs Fubara: Presidency complicates Rivers leadership crisis

Politically, Rivers State appears completely disorganized and confused, its matters looking totally complicated.

As it is now, Gov Sim Fubara has every right to strut about as ‘001’ of Rivers APC (All Progressives Congress), the president’s party, going by the pronouncements of Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication.

He had dowsed the fire in the heat of impeachment motion by the Rivers State House of Assembly to oust Fubara. He said his principal (Tinubu) aligns with the position of Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the APC, on the leadership hierarchy in Rivers state.

Many in the state said the statement from the Presidency about Rivers State cannot be taken lightly, because it was no image laundering job nor matter of rhetoric. They said it was a clear warning from Aso Rock.

A source said: “President Tinubu spoke plainly. No padding. No diplomacy. And the message was simple: he is tired of Wike. Sending David Bwala, the presidential spokesman to say it openly on national television was not an accident. It was deliberate. It was a signal.”

To another top source: “Tinubu is done managing Wike. The President didn’t just say ‘leave Rivers alone. He went further and recognized Fubara as the leader of APC in Rivers State. That statement alone shook many political landlords in Port Harcourt. Then Tinubu added the killer line: ‘Allow Fubara to do his work.’ In simple language, he means to say, Wike, back off. Stop interfering.

That means Aso Rock sees the impeachment talk as nonsense, a distraction, and a waste of time. And that puts Wike on the wrong side of power.

“By that statement, the President indirectly described Wike’s behavior as bullying, oppressive, and harmful to Rivers people and the country. That is not ordinary criticism. That is political demotion.

Right now, Wike is politically embarrassed. And the rain is still beating him. Then Bwala dropped the final bombshell: ‘The President has settled Wike.” Meaning; Whatever Wike claims he spent to help Tinubu become President, he has already recovered it—plus profit.

Bwala even mentioned the TSA exemption Wike enjoyed. Let’s be honest: that exemption meant unlimited access to serious federal money. Real money. Big money. Life-changing money.”

This made persons to call upon Fubara to stop acting like half-governor but to take full control because, according to them, Rivers State cannot have two captains in one boat.”

Shettima reaffirms:

Before this could settle in, Kashim Shettima, the vice president, spoke in Jalingo in Taraba State, saying the president had affirmed that any governor that defected to the APC would automatically become ‘001’ and take over the leadership of the party in the state.

He was quoted as saying that President Tinubu declared that governors under the APC remain leaders of the party in their respective states.

Shettima had represented President Tinubu and announced that Gov. Kefas had thus assumed the leadership of the party in Taraba by virtue of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC.

He expressed his determination to support the governor and his cabinet in bringing development to Taraba.

Just when Fubara supporters were settling in to enjoy the fact that Fubara was now the leader of the president’s party and thus was sure to get whatever he wanted including escape from the Assembly boys (impeachment) and 2027 certainties, President Tinubu himself struck.

The president was being quoted everywhere on social media to have said Wike is the undisputed leader in Rivers State. Shock came.

Many interpreted this to mean that while Fubara may be leader of APC, he must be subsumed under a bigger leader, Wike, who has been recognized by Mr President is leader of both the APC and PDP.

With this, Fubara cannot have his wish or his way in either the APC he just jumped into or PDP he is jumping from.

This seems to set a now confusion, a new complication. May wonder of what use would Fubara’s leadership in APC if Wike is still to decide his fate in 2027 or event now.

Many have explained that what is means is that Fubara would not be impeached but would not think of 2027. The problem is that in Rivers issues, there are often no official statements, but messages and posts in social media platforms. A media source said about this; “Its upto you to believe it or not.”