Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has asserted that he played a pivotal role in the emergence of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, insisting that the governor cannot refute his influence in that process.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike recounted his contribution to Diri’s political rise and also commented on his strained relationship with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his former ally and political protégé.
“Like the governor of Bayelsa, I played a fundamental role; he can’t deny it,” Wike stated during the interview.
He went further to suggest that reconciliation with Fubara is possible, but only if approached with honesty and remorse.
“In sincerity, if anybody comes, it must be in sincerity. The best opportunity was when the President intervened,” he said.
According to Wike, two state governors have approached him in recent times to help mediate the dispute between him and Fubara.
“Two governors came to me, and I said, ‘Look, I am here for peace. What does he want?’ and they said, ‘Look, we will do everything,’” he explained.
Wike also reiterated his support for the state of emergency declared in Rivers by President Bola Tinubu, a move that suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the state assembly, and led to the appointment of a sole administrator.
“As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state,” Wike said.
He emphasized that the governor had already lost political footing before the federal intervention.
“The matter is in court, but people must say the truth. The governor was gone. It is not my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable, and that is why there is a power plane,” he concluded.
