Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has opened up on what he described as the biggest blunders made by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing his successor of abandoning the political structure that brought him to power and trying to go solo too soon.
Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike said he knew something was wrong when Fubara allegedly began building his own political camp less than 100 days after taking office.
According to the former Rivers governor, Fubara allowed himself to be influenced by people who never wanted him to succeed and ended up picking a needless political fight.
Wike said he handed over a state already on the path to competing with Lagos, boasting that he left behind massive projects, including the multi-billion-naira Port Harcourt Ring Road and 12 flyovers that transformed the state’s capital.
“I laid a fantastic foundation for him to continue from where I stopped so Rivers could compete with Lagos,” Wike said.
He claimed Fubara’s decision to distance himself from those who supported his emergence as governor widened the development gap between Rivers and Lagos.
“You can’t succeed by abandoning the structure that built you. Before he spent 100 days in office, he was already setting up his own structure. We immediately knew something was fundamentally wrong,” Wike declared.
The FCT minister also dismissed long-standing claims that he demanded money from Fubara, describing the allegation as a familiar political tactic used whenever allies fall out.
“People always say someone is asking for money once there’s disagreement. Why would I ask him for money when I manage the FCT with a budget of about ₦1.8 trillion?” he asked.
Wike insisted his only interest was to see Rivers remain stable and continue the development agenda he started, saying he wanted Fubara to build on his achievements rather than abandon them.
Highlighting his record in Abuja, Wike revealed that the FCT’s monthly internally generated revenue had jumped from ₦8 billion to about ₦40 billion under his leadership, insisting the figures prove what focused leadership can achieve.
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