Fubara was saved by emergency rule declaration, I wanted him impeached – Wike 

Wike, the immediate past governor of the state and now estranged godfather of his suspended successor, said he actually wanted Fubara completely ousted as governor only for him (governor) to be saved by the suspension.

The minister also spoke on his distrust of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his assessment of the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 polls and why he remains resolute in his support for President Bola Tinubu for the elections.

“As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State,” Wike said in a televised interview.

“I wanted the outright removal of the governor. The President, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”

President Tinubu suspended Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and all members of the House of Assembly for six months, citing security reports.

The President appointed an administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) to run the affairs of the state during the emergency period.

Continuing, Wike said: “The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the President did this, I say they should be praising him.

“Every morning, they should go to the President and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”

The minister said he was not opposed to peace talks with Fubara and alleged that the governor’s advisers were the ones discouraging him from embracing peace.

Wike, who is also locked in a running battle with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as a fall out of the 2022 presidential primary of the PDP, said his opposition to the former vice president was based on principle and not on account of Atiku’s refusal to pick him as running mate for the 2023 election.

His words: “I wanted power rotation. I could not have imagined that after eight years of Buhari, power goes to north again.

“It is not about whether you chose to field me or not, it’s about principle.

“To take that decision was difficult. A decision had to be taken and I looked at it, Atiku was not an option. So, he was a no go area.”

Wike denied suggestions that Atiku dropped him as his running mate.

“From day one, I told my delegates when they came that one thing you must know is that Atiku does not keep to his words.

“I can tell you authoritatively what happened. In 2019, Atiku, (Bukola) Saraki and (Uche) Secondus came to see me that I was going to nominate the attorney general and minister of petroleum.

“When we lost the election, the man who was supposed to bring the attorney general did not know when the legal team was constituted, and I laughed.

“I watched it on television, and I now called Saraki: you people have constituted a legal team, and you said I was going to bring the attorney general.

“I know from day one that Atiku would never keep to his word and I’ve never banked on that. I will not take his word to the bank.

“It was very clear that I made the right decision and you can’t see me now saying I will support him for president. How?”

The FCT minister also assessed the chances of his party, PDP, ahead of the 2027 elections.

He did not see the party making any waves.

“The PDP is not ready for the 2027 election. It is very obvious,” he said.

“For instance, I have an examination and I am going to class to read. Indeed, am I reading? Am I studying? You don’t need to deceive anybody that you are reading. You are only trying to read so that people will see that you have carried your bag to class.”

On the recent statement by the PDP Governors Forum ruling out coalition with any party for the 2027 polls, Wike said: “They are not sincere to themselves; they are not also sincere to the party.

“On Tuesday, to be precise, I watched Politics Today on Channels TV where the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, was talking.

“And after watching that interview, I called Seyi Makinde who is my friend and I told him that he did not tell the truth as regards some issues.

“Fundamentally, you in 2023. One of the reasons why PDP lost was impunity. People who believed they have all it takes refused to respect the constitution of the party as regards power sharing. Now they are also making the same mistake by the impunity of the Governors Forum.

“That is the situation of the PDP. So, they cannot say for sure that they are ready for 2027. Power struggle cannot help the party.

“I am minister of FCT and I am not just any minister; they must understand that. There is nothing any governor can do that I cannot do. It is very obvious that PDP is not ready for the 2027 election. You do not need to like me. What I am saying, is it correct? All these power struggles cannot help us (PDP).

“If PDP does not put their house in order, I’m not going to support them in the Abuja Area councils election. If PDP goes the way they are going, I will not support them.

“This crisis will consume this party until the right thing is done. I have never recommended anybody to these governors but that does not mean that I don’t play any role.

‘Why Tinubu will remain president till 2031’

Wike reiterated his support for President Tinubu for the next polls.

He said: “I said it in 2023 and I’m saying it again that until 2031, when the position should go to the North, there is nothing anybody will say to me now.

“It’s not anti-party, it’s harmonious living together. You can’t tell me that it’s your own prerogative to be producing president; let’s all live.

“Whether APC liked it or not, it was very turbulent for Tinubu to have scaled through that (2023) election.

“You could see that he could have failed the election woefully. The fuel crisis, the naira issue was terrible.

“No party in government would at that time bring such a policy when you know you are running an election, but everything was done and he survived it.

“That’s how you will know that there are people that, first of all, God is on their side. They also know this game and you must give it to them.” Nation