The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to end the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State was made in the overall interest of the state.
Wike made the comment during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday night, where he revealed that the administration could have prolonged the emergency rule if it had chosen to.
“If we didn’t want the state of emergency to be lifted, we could have done one or two things to ensure it continued,” Wike stated.
“But we made that decision for the good of the state.”
President Tinubu had earlier declared the emergency rule at the height of political tensions in Rivers State, stemming from a fierce dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former political mentor, Wike, who served as the immediate past governor.
During the emergency period, Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended.
In their place, the President appointed former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibot Ekwe Ibas (retd), as the Sole Administrator of the state, a move that drew widespread criticism.
However, on Wednesday, President Tinubu officially lifted the emergency rule, stating that the political situation had stabilised and that there was no justification for extending it any further.
Wike, commenting further, said:
“I saw today that some people, those who thrive in chaos, were hoping the crisis would continue. But this administration is focused on peace and stability.”
He emphasized that the federal government acted in restraint, resisting the urge to escalate tensions, in order to protect the state’s long-term interests.
