The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed claims that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has become the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, following the governor’s recent defection to the ruling party.
Insisting that party leadership is determined by operational structure at the ward level and not by political office, Wike, who spoke at a media parley with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said the notion of “001” or a centralised state register does not exist in political parties.
According to him, every member registers only in his ward, and that party authority flows from that structure.
“There is nothing like 001 in the state. You register in your ward, and your local government is in your ward. Everybody registers in his own ward. You could be the first person to register, but not in the sense that by becoming governor you automatically become leader of the party,” Wike stated.
He acknowledged that, in principle, governors often lead their parties in their states but insisted that leadership is not conferred by office alone. “Leadership is not because I am a governor. You must have something that makes you a leader,” he added.
The minister said the current political tension in Rivers State persists because certain commitments were not kept, especially on the peace pact that sought to resolve disputes between the governor and the state legislature.
According to him, the breakdown of trust fuelled recent developments that saw the governor accuse him of meddling in state matters. Wike countered that the governor was fully aware of all reconciliation efforts with the state lawmakers and elders.
“The governor cannot say there was no meeting between the speaker and the leadership of the House. He was present. I don’t like politicians who don’t say the truth,” he said, expressing displeasure over comments he believes should never have been made on national television.
The former Rivers governor also suggested that Fubara failed to show basic political courtesies that signal genuine commitment to party unity, saying there were actions a serious politician would take without prompting. “Nobody told me to go and visit the Assembly to say thank you for their support. I don’t need anybody to tell me to call the speaker and say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. These are steps you take to show seriousness,” he said, adding that political engagement cannot be one-sided.
Wike also dismissed interpretations that his working relationship with Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT, had broken down irretrievably.
He referred to a letter the senator wrote thanking him for rehabilitating a major road in the capital, arguing that disagreements on the floor of the Senate do not erase established collaboration. “She commended me for making Abuja a modern city. If there are two areas she thinks have not been done well, it does not mean Abuja is not doing well,” he noted.
The minister listed improvements in security, infrastructure and transportation since assuming office, saying that sanitation challenges arose from the need to terminate old contracts and begin new procurement processes, which take time.
He urged patience as the FCT works to complete ongoing reforms and insisted that criticisms should be balanced with acknowledgement of progress. “You cannot have a modern city if it is dirty or insecure. Today, compared to the past ten years, appreciable improvement has been recorded,” he maintained.
Wike also added that he remains focused on governance and loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, stressing that political actors must learn to honour commitments at all times.
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