Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, has asserted that no decision regarding the recent local government (LG) election in Rivers State was made without the input of the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Wike made these disclosures during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, addressing the ongoing political dynamics in the state.

According to Wike, the polls were conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) under the supervision of Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as the sole administrator of the state during an emergency rule. Despite Wike's claims of Fubara's involvement, the governor and his supporters notably stayed away from the LG elections, which took place on August 30.

Reacting to Fubara’s absence, Wike recounted a personal effort to engage the governor. He stated that he drove to Fubara’s residence at 1 AM to discuss the upcoming LG election. “This is what Nigerians should know: the governor wanted to come and see me. I said, ‘No, you’re the governor.’ I drove to the governor’s house by 1 am,” Wike said. He further emphasized, “I, the former governor of Rivers state, drove to the governor’s house at 1 am. I said, ‘Your Excellency, what do we do?’ There’s nothing that was done that the governor wasn’t part of.”

Wike clarified that Fubara had informed him in advance that he would be unavailable on election day due to a family commitment involving his son. “Even before the election, the governor travelled. He told me he will not be around because his son has this engagement,” Wike explained. He also criticized those he described as