The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed any chances of reconciling with Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara, citing the latter’s failure to implement a presidential directive aimed at resolving their dispute.
According to Wike, the directive, issued by President Bola Tinubu during a peace meeting, was not honored by Fubara and his allies.
In 2023, both camps signed an eight-point peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu at a high-profile meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. However, the truce fell apart, with Fubara later alleging that he had been coerced into signing the deal.
During a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, Wike remarked that Fubara and his allies should have gone back to President Bola Tinubu to clarify why they could not comply with the directives.
He said, “I’m wondering, what conflict to resolve? Mr President, in his wisdom, called all parties. He said, ‘This is the problem, and I want this problem to be resolved. Withdraw the impeachment notice. You go and do this; you go and do that. and everybody agreed with it.”
“The Assembly withdrew the impeachment notice; you did one and two, and then you sent people to go to court. Elder, have you gone back to Mr President to tell him this assignment you gave us? We’ve done one and two, but we can’t do three and four. Mr President, can you call us back to see whether we can find a solution to three and four since one and two have been executed?
“I have never seen this in my life—for a president to call parties, and one party goes back and says it’s political, not binding and unconstitutional. Who does that?”
The conflict between Wike and Fubara began months after Fubara’s inauguration as governor, with the struggle allegedly centred on control of the state’s political resources.
— VANGUARD
