Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has said throwing total support behind President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid will unlock unprecedented political appointments, infrastructure development, and lasting national relevance for Rivers.
Wike stated this when he met with supporters of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara in Port Harcourt on Monday, stressing that aligning with the federal government would secure the state’s position as a powerhouse in national politics.
Reflecting on his political journey and stewardship, Wike explained that his primary motivation was ensuring that Rivers remain a central fixture in national decision-making, where no president could afford to sideline the state’s leadership.
The minister urged party faithful, youth groups, and local stakeholders to put past grievances behind them, forgive past missteps, and rally solidly behind President Tinubu.
He stressed that “politics is about calculating where the state stands to gain the most leverage.
“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.
“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.
Pointing to tangible achievements, Wike noted that the Tinubu-led administration has broken records in terms of high-profile federal appointments awarded to indigenes of Rivers.
He also highlighted infrastructural milestones, such as the construction and opening of major roadways like the Bonny road, as direct evidence of President Tinubu’s commitment to delivering legacy projects for the state.
According to him, a massive voter turnout for Tinubu will guarantee even greater stakes and bumper opportunities for the state’s populace, particularly the youth.
Wike also addressed internal party alignment, noting that local political structures across different platforms were collapsing into a unified front to back the President.
Acknowledging that political transitions and alliances naturally come with friction, rumours, and minor disagreements, Wike called for calm and reconciliation at the grassroots level.
He assured those who may have felt sidelined that structured committees were working to ensure no genuine member of the family was left behind.
He urged the youths leaders to return to their bases, mend fences, and prepare for the upcoming campaign committees reconstitutions and the President’s scheduled visit to the state.
Earlier, Mr Ezebunwo Ichemati, former Mayor of Port Harcourt, who spoke on behalf of Fubara-aligned youths leaders, declared their readiness to work closely with Wike to deliver Rivers to Tinubu and other candidates under the Rainbow Coalition.
Ichemati said that the meeting marks a major turning point in the Rivers political landscape, signaling a consolidated front between the Wike and Fubara camps as strategic preparations intensify for 2027 general elections.
He said that the group were fully committed to joining forces with Wike’s Rainbow Coalition to deliver Tinubu, including Mr Kinsley Chinda vying for the governorship seat under ruling All Progressives Congress in upcoming elections.
He described the recent political crisis in the state as a “temporary domestic dispute” that has now given way to family unity.
“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 achieved, the family comes back together—and that is what has happened today,” he said.
Addressing Wike directly, Ichemati acknowledged the FCT minister as the undisputed leader of Rivers politics and commended him and Fubara for initiating the peace deal that brought the warring factions together.
According to him, Gov. Fubara is fully aware and supported the meeting with the FCT minister for the interest of the state.
Ichemati said that the reconciliation was far beyond rhetoric, pledging that the vast network of grassroots youths, who served as political foot soldiers during the crisis would now act as a formidable force for the coalition.
“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.