Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that political leaders orchestrated his rise to become Rivers State governor. Wike insists that while he received support, he ultimately fought his way to power.
Speaking at a civic reception for loyalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, Wike contrasted his political journey with that of the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. He claimed to have been instrumental in making Fubara governor, unlike his own climb to power, which he said required him to wrest control of the party structure.
You didn’t give me [the governorship]. In 2014, I fought for the party structure. I took it from Magnus Abe, yes, I did, Wike stated. Nobody can say, ‘I brought Wike.’ But it would be unfair to Almighty God to say nobody supported me. You need people’s support, but not to say you gave me.
Wike’s remarks follow the resurfacing of old videos on social media showing former First Lady Patience Jonathan introducing him as a preferred successor to then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi. These videos have fueled discussions amid a political rift involving Wike, former Governor Peter Odili, and Governor Fubara.
Wike expressed dissatisfaction with Odili’s open support for Fubara, arguing that the former governor should have remained neutral and acted as a father figure in the ongoing political crisis.
The controversy highlights Wike’s assertion that his rise to power was a result of personal struggle and determination, even as political heavyweights such as former President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience Jonathan, and Odili were widely believed to have played significant roles in his 2015 governorship victory.