FCT Minister Wike Urges Rivers Assembly to Obey Tinubu’s Directives in Governor Face-off
ABUJA — Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has stated that he has directed the Rivers State House of Assembly to implement President Bola Tinubu’s directives in the ongoing political dispute with Governor Sim Fubara. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike expressed confidence that the Assembly would comply without hesitation.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, emphasized his expectation that Governor Fubara would also fulfill his obligations under the agreement brokered by the Presidency. He framed the compliance as essential to ending the public discord that has marked the state’s recent political climate.
“I have told the Assembly to do the needful and obey Mr President, which I know they will not hesitate to do,” Wike said. “I also believe the governor will carry out his own part to make sure this is the final time Rivers people will hear this kind of discord.”
The public directive underscores the federal government’s engagement in a state-level governance crisis. The face-off between Governor Fubara and the State Assembly has previously involved controversies over budget presentations and legislative authority, though specific details of the current impasse were not outlined in Wike’s remarks.
Wike’s intervention is notable given his historical political influence in Rivers State and his current role in the federal cabinet. His appeal to both state institutions highlights an attempt to enforce a resolution aligned with presidential directives, aiming to restore administrative stability.
The minister’s statement signals a federal push for de-escalation. By urging both the Assembly and the governor to uphold their respective parts of an understood agreement, the focus remains on operational compliance rather than further political confrontation. The significance lies in the potential for resolving a protracted governance conflict that has implications for political harmony and administrative effectiveness in the oil-rich state.
Observers will note whether this public nudge from a senior minister, coupled with the authority of the President, will promptly resolve the disagreement. The stated goal is a permanent cessation of the public disputes that have characterized the relationship between Rivers State’s executive and legislative branches.
