The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he and leaders of the state picked and worked for the emergence of Siminalayi Fubara, as governor to save the unity of Rivers state.
Wike boasted that if he had wanted his Ikwerre ethnic nationality to still produce his successor, nobody would have stopped him, saying he decided to overlook such interest for the unity and progress of Rivers.
The former Rivers governor spoke on Sunday, January 7, at a state luncheon he organised in Port Harcourt to mark the New Year.
To pave the way for Fubara, who hails from the riverine area, Wike said he had to ask others including close friends like Felix Obuah, a former PDP chairman in Rivers to drop his ambition.
Wike said to avoid acrimony within his political family, he bought all the forms for all the people, who ran elections in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including the governor.
“Felix Obuah was in my team as chairman of the party. My predecessor seized Obua’s property, everything he owned, land, schools and hotels. The wife cried to him but he told his wife, ‘don’t worry if it is the will of God there is nothing you can do. He stood firm. They took everything he had.
“He was one of the frontrunners in 2023 governorship election. I told him in my house to step down that he won’t run. He looked at me but I say you won’t run. He said if that was what I am saying that he won’t run. But I say you will be DG, go and campaign for that election.
“I say you must be DG and he said if that is what you want I will go and do it. And he did it. I see all kinds of things going on. They are talking evil about him. But he is here and he will still be here.
“Those who open their mouth to talk, don’t know anything. I was the one who paid for the forms for anybody who wanted to run for elections as governor, House of Assembly and National Assembly. Let one person raise his hand and said he bought forms.
“We say we are all family members, no need for acrimony. Don’t spend your money we will agree on who will run. The day we took the final decision, the chairman of elders council nearly collapsed. He is here. OCJ was there, Awuse was there. Omehia was there.
“He nearly collapsed. Why? He wanted a governor from the riverine area. When I looked at him, I say why would I allow this old man to just die. I say let’s not create the impression that there are people who want to monopolise power.
“Let’s allow everybody to be part of it because we belong to one Rivers state. If I had wanted, nobody would have stopped me. Nobody had what it takes to even near me.
“And to God be the glory, I don’t regret what I did and I will never regret what I did because I want the unity of this state for us to forge ahead. If I wanted an Ikwerre man, nobody would have stopped me.”
