The former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has accused his successor, Siminlayi Fubara, of orchestrating the arson attack on the state House of Assembly Complex in order to evade imminent impeachment by a majority vote of 27 out of 32 state legislators.
Mr. Wike made these allegations during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Friday.
“If they were impeaching you, did you call me? Assuming I’m the one who prompted it, for example, you didn’t call me to say, sir, they want to impeach me,” said Mr Wike, who referred to Mr Fubara.
He added, “Is that why you will send people to go and burn the hallowed chamber? Is an impeachment process a one-day affair? Then you raised ethnic politics; we’ve never had it like this before.”
The state is currently mired in a political turmoil stemming from the power struggle between the two parties vying for control over its structures. Despite reports of President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, the dispute remains unresolved as Mr Wike maintains his composure out of respect for the president and reluctance to disobey him.
“Anything that will not make me respect Mr President is not there,” he added.
Mr Wike, who slammed Mr Fubara for allegedly taking laws into his own hands, described the governor as an ingrate. The minister also accused him of bringing ethnic sentiments into the state’s politics.
When contacted by Peoples Gazette, Mr Fubara said he was too mature to respond to Mr Wike’s accusations because the minister is entitled to his opinion.
“So you expect me to respond to him? He can say anything he wants to say. I’m too mature to respond to him,” the governor said. “If that is what he said, so be it. That’s his opinion. But for me, I can’t make any comment on that.
