President Bola Tinubu, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Photo: State House
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged supporters of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to back President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying increased votes for the President would attract more federal appointments and infrastructure projects to the state.
Wike made the appeal on Monday during an interactive meeting with Fubara’s supporters and youth leaders in Port Harcourt, where he called for reconciliation among political stakeholders and urged them to unite behind Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka, he said Wike explained that Rivers State stood to gain more political influence and development benefits by delivering a strong electoral performance for the President.
“All I want to hear in this state is Tinubu and nothing but Tinubu. If we play the role we are playing now, and we are one of the first three states that get the highest number of votes, we will get more of the appointments,” he said.
Wike noted that the Tinubu administration had already provided Rivers State with several high-profile federal appointments, expressing confidence that stronger electoral support would create more opportunities for the state, particularly its youths.
He urged party faithful and grassroots leaders to put past disagreements behind them, arguing that political cooperation with the Federal Government would strengthen Rivers State’s position in national affairs.
The former Rivers State governor also pointed to infrastructure projects, including the Bonny road, as evidence of the benefits of the current administration’s engagement with the state.
Wike said his interest was to ensure that Rivers remained relevant in national politics, stressing that his political activities were intended to advance the state’s development rather than secure another governorship ambition.
“I am not going to be governor again; this is for your own interest. I want this state to grow. I want this state to play an important role in the politics of Nigeria,” he said.
He acknowledged that political realignments often generated disagreements and rumours but urged supporters to remain calm while reconciliation efforts continued.
According to him, committees had been established to address grievances and ensure that genuine members of the political group were not excluded from the emerging coalition.
“We are talking for survival and growth,” Wike said, urging local government youth leaders to return to their respective areas, reconcile aggrieved members and prepare for campaign committees and Tinubu’s planned visit to the state.”
The meeting was part of efforts to consolidate support for Tinubu through the Rainbow Coalition, which Wike said was bringing together political structures across different platforms.
Earlier, a former Mayor of Port Harcourt, Mr Ezebunwo Ichemati, who spoke on behalf of Fubara’s supporters, pledged the group’s readiness to work with Wike to secure Rivers State for Tinubu and other candidates under the coalition.
Ichemati described the meeting as a turning point in the state’s political landscape, saying it signalled a move towards unity between the Wike and Fubara camps ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the group was committed to supporting Tinubu and Mr Kingsley Chinda, whom he identified as a candidate for the governorship under the emerging political arrangement.
Describing the political crisis that divided the camps as a family dispute, Ichemati said the parties had resolved to put their differences behind them and work together.
“Every family has its own peculiarity in problems. What matters most is that the family comes together, the children watch what has divided them, and decide to move forward.
“If today a marriage faces a problem, some children will go to their father, some will go to their mother. But when a truce is made, the family comes back together—and that is what has happened today,” he said.
Ichemati acknowledged Wike’s influence in Rivers politics and credited both the minister and Fubara with facilitating the reconciliation that brought the rival groups together.
He also said Fubara was aware of and supported the meeting with Wike, describing the engagement as part of a broader effort to restore unity within the state’s political structure.
According to him, the reconciliation would extend to grassroots supporters, particularly youths who had served as political foot soldiers during the crisis.
“The state has been held back for a very long time. Now that you are bringing this peace initiative down to the youths, who are the foot soldiers, I want to assure you that we commit ourselves to join our brothers in the rainbow coalition.
“What you see here today will transform into a force that will deliver. We don’t want to say much. All we can say is: test us, try us, and we will deliver,” he said.