- Says Tinubu Should Call Wike to Order
By Abiola Olawale
A Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to order and prevent him from allegedly destabilizing Rivers State.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV on Tuesday, Dokubo alleged that the President hasn’t taken steps to call Wike, a two-term governor of Rivers State, to order, stressing that the minister is currently frustrating Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
He said Wike aims to remove Fubara from power. He also expressed his disappointment at the ongoing crisis in the state, adding that ‘something will happen’ if the governor is impeached.
He stated: “What I’m trying to say is that with Bola Tinubu becoming president, I should be able to tell him the truth. What is happening in Rivers State where… Wike is destabilizing Rivers State and disturbing the peace of Rivers State, as a stakeholder in Rivers State, I feel disappointed for the president to allow his minister serving under him to run amok and procure judgement and all sort, threatening the people of Rivers State.”
He added: “What they are trying to do is that we’re going to remove Fubara, and nothing will happen. What I’m saying is that if you try to remove Fubara, something will happen. That is what I’m talking about. I’m not talking of any personal benefit; I can’t be appointed minister or to any board; I didn’t lobby for anything.”
When asked further if he stands by his statement , Dokubo stated that he still stands by his words and that he should be held responsible.
He continued: “I still stand by that statement. That is why I’m crying out because I’m vigorously liable for any expectation of the Nigerian people, not just the Niger Delta people. This is because I stood in front of everybody, and I’m not going to deny what I said.
“Even if it’s tomorrow and Ahmed Bola Tinubu encounters any difficulty, I’ll still stick out my neck and stand. At the stand he stood for me, I would have been dead and not be in this programme talking. Obasanjo would have killed me if not for people like Tinubu who stood by me. So, I’m not going to be in a hurry to forget that.”
This comes after Dokubo had accused Tinubu of betraying him after working for his emergence as the Nigerian president in the 2023 elections.
Dokubo, in a viral video on social media, had claimed that he spent money canvassing for votes for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, only to be betrayed.
He, however, vowed to form an alliance with the northern region and dump Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The New Diplomat reports that Rivers State has been in the news for the past year over the cold war between Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
While the reasons for the acrimony between the duo remain top secret, some insider sources said that Wike and Fubara had been purportedly battling for control of the oil-rich state’s resources and political machinery.
