‘No Way’ to a Second Term
Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital, Nyesom Wike, has drawn a hard political line, declaring that Governor Siminalayi Fubara must not be allowed a second term in office.
Speaking during a meeting in Okrika Local Government Area, Wike told supporters that backing Fubara again would amount to “burying ourselves politically,” a statement widely interpreted as a call to arms ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We have made our decision,” Wike said, stressing that while his camp would support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, the same loyalty would not extend to the Rivers governor.
A Feud Reopened
The latest outburst revives a feud that plunged Rivers State into crisis in 2025, culminating in a presidentially declared emergency rule and the temporary suspension of elected officials.
Although President Tinubu later brokered a peace deal that saw Fubara reinstated, relations between both camps have remained brittle, with accusations of betrayal and bad faith simmering beneath the surface.
Political observers say Wike’s remarks signal that the fragile ceasefire has effectively collapsed.
Grassroots Loyalty Signals
Wike’s stance appears to enjoy backing at the local level. Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ahoada West have publicly pledged to follow whatever political direction the FCT minister gives ahead of 2027.
Similar endorsements from local PDP figures suggest that Wike’s influence across party lines in Rivers remains formidable, despite his current role at the federal level.
Power, Not Policy
Critics argue that the renewed confrontation exposes a deeper issue in Rivers politics: the dominance of personality over governance.
Rather than debates about performance, policy or development outcomes, the 2027 conversation is once again framed as a survival contest between political camps — a dynamic that previously paralysed governance and triggered federal intervention.
Some analysts warn that if unchecked, the escalating rhetoric risks destabilising the state long before campaign season formally begins.
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What This Means for 2027
With two years still to go, the early hardening of positions suggests Rivers State may be headed for another bruising political cycle.
For Governor Fubara, the challenge will be to consolidate authority and broaden alliances beyond his former benefactor. For Wike, the gamble is whether his unmatched political machinery can once again dictate succession outcomes.
For Rivers residents, the question is more urgent: will governance survive another round of elite warfare
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