Fubara’s mistake was trying to build political structure too early — Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the biggest mistake made by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara was attempting to establish an independent political structure shortly after assuming office.
Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike said Fubara began distancing himself from the political structure that brought him to power within his first 100 days in office, a move he described as premature and politically unwise.
According to the former Rivers governor, he had expected his successor to build on the foundation laid during his administration, particularly in infrastructure development, to position Rivers State to compete with Lagos.
“You have to think well. If you make the mistake which he made by saying, ‘Yes, I can do it alone. Those who gave me support, I don’t care, I don’t need them,’ those who didn’t want you will come in. There is no way anybody who didn’t want you to be in a position will want you to succeed. He tried to do it by himself and wanted to set up his own structure as against the structure that built him,” Wike said.
He said he handed over several legacy projects, including the Port Harcourt Ring Road and 12 completed flyovers, but alleged that Fubara abandoned the development path he had envisioned for the state after listening to people who never supported his emergence as governor.
Wike also dismissed allegations that he demanded money from Fubara, insisting that the claims were politically motivated and that his only interest was to see Rivers remain stable and build on the achievements of his administration.
The FCT minister cited the growth in the Federal Capital Territory’s internally generated revenue from about N8 billion monthly to N40 billion under his leadership as evidence of his commitment to governance.
He maintained that Fubara’s political decisions widened the development gap between Rivers and Lagos, stressing that continuity in governance would have better served the state’s long-term interests.
