Former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that publicly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not automatically guarantee a return ticket for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the 2027 governorship election.
Wike made the statement during a weekend visit to Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, in remarks widely viewed as a further escalation of the protracted political feud between him and his successor.
The political rivalry between Wike and Fubara has dominated Rivers State politics for months, triggering a deep governance crisis that led to the burning of the State House of Assembly complex and the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency in the state by President Tinubu.
The crisis also resulted in the reported defection of 27 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers loyal to Wike to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that sparked multiple legal battles.
At the local government level, several caretaker committee chairmen aligned with Governor Fubara defected to the Action People’s Party (APP) ahead of council elections and went on to win the polls.
President Tinubu later intervened in the crisis, leading to reports of a peace agreement between Wike and Fubara.
According to political sources, one of the alleged terms of the settlement was that Governor Fubara would not seek re-election in 2027.
Following the expiration of the six-month state of emergency in September and the reinstatement of the deputy governor and state lawmakers, expectations rose that political stability would return to the state.
Earlier this month, Governor Fubara defected from the PDP to the APC after meeting President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He later formally announced his defection at a meeting with government officials at the Government House in Port Harcourt, pledging loyalty to the President.
His move followed the defection of some Rivers State lawmakers to the APC.
However, responding to the development during his Emohua visit, Wike downplayed its political significance.
“The issue is not whether you support Tinubu or not. That decision was taken long ago. Supporting Tinubu will not earn anyone a ticket,” Wike said.
He argued that support for the President is already widespread in the state and does not constitute a political advantage.
“Who in Rivers State is not for Tinubu? That alone cannot guarantee anyone a ticket,” he added.
Wike also accused some politicians now publicly declaring support for the President of political inconsistency, alleging that they previously challenged the Rivers State House of Assembly in court and failed to support Tinubu when it mattered most.
“We have never wavered in our support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. When we take decisions, we do so out of conviction, not because of what others are doing,” Wike said