Former Rivers State Commissioner for Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, has accused FCT Minister Wike Nyesom of being a promoter and beneficiary of political crises in Rivers State.
He made the allegations in an exclusive interview with Arise News on Tuesday, claiming that Wike has consistently leveraged political conflicts to consolidate power and personal gain.
Nwibubasa traced Wike’s involvement in political crises back to 2014 and 2015, when Wike was Junior Minister for Education.
According to the former commissioner, Wike played a role in exacerbating tensions between then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former First Lady Patience Goodluck Jonathan.
“First of all, look at the history of crisis in Rivers State. When there’s crisis, we need to know who is benefiting from this crisis,” Nwibubasa said.
He added that the political unrest during that period ultimately contributed to the failure of Jonathan’s second tenure bid, positioning Wike to emerge as governor of Rivers State.
The former commissioner further alleged that Wike continued this pattern in subsequent elections.
He claimed that in 2018 and 2019, Wike promoted internal disputes within the APC, which resulted in the party not fielding a candidate in the 2019 elections.
Similarly, he said Wike was instrumental in creating crises within the PDP leading up to the 2023 elections, a move that allegedly secured his appointment as FCT Minister.
Nwibubasa also criticised what he described as undue interference by the President of Nigeria in Rivers State politics.
He argued that it is “completely immoral for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to sit in an APC-led government and dictate who becomes a leader of PDP in Rivers State.”
“That to me is laughable. How could a party like APC lose their moral compass to the point that they want to sit in their own party and dictate who becomes a leader in another party?” he said.
He expressed concern over Rivers State Governor Siminal Fubara’s leadership, stating that he had lost public trust.
“For Gôvernor Fubara, yes, Wike brought him, the Rivers people stood by him.
”He has torpedoed so many times, surrendered so many times. And so, I think he has lost the trust of Rivers people,” Nwibubasa said, urging citizens to seek leadership that prioritises service delivery, employment, and good governance.
Speaking on President Bola Tinubu’s endorsement of Wike as the political authority in Rivers State, the former commissioner called the move “a bad example” for democracy and governance.
He argued that the President’s focus on political control in Rivers State detracts from national priorities.
“It is unfortunate that the APC-led government, especially the one led by our present President, Tinubu, has continued to set very bad examples.
”Because President Tinubu feels Rivers State is a conquered territory, he has added salt to injury by saying a sitting governor must always defer to his Minister,” Nwibubasa said.
He highlighted ongoing public dissatisfaction in the FCT and alleged that citizens are protesting Wike’s performance.
According to Nwibubasa, the President’s preoccupation with Rivers politics signals a deeper concern over control of state resources.
The former commissioner also raised concerns over governance and public service delivery in Rivers State.
He criticised the state of infrastructure and basic amenities, pointing out that Port Harcourt streets are littered with garbage and public schools are failing.
“The President’s interest seems to go beyond politics and administration into the very treasury of Rivers State, and we need to know what our monies are being used for.
”The fight for Rivers State is the fight for the treasury of Rivers State,” he said.
Nwibubasa’s comments come amid a broader national debate on federal interference in state politics, raising questions about the balance of power between state governments and the federal authority under Nigeria’s federal system.
