Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has welcomed the return of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the political camp that brought him to power, saying the governor had corrected his mistakes and that both leaders would now work together to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Gatekeepers News reports that Wike made the remarks on Tuesday while leading senior officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja.
He was responding to Fubara’s declaration of support for the Rainbow Coalition during the inauguration of the Rivers Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt on July 22.
At the event, the governor also endorsed Kingsley Chinda, an ally of Wike and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as his preferred successor.
Reacting to the development, Wike said politics should not be driven by personal grievances, stressing that there was nothing wrong with acknowledging mistakes and embracing reconciliation.
“I don’t know what you mean by sin. In politics, there is no sin. If someone realises they made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that,” Wike said.
“Politics is not a sin. What matters is recognising that you were on the wrong path and making the right decision.”
The FCT minister said he had always believed Fubara would eventually return, insisting the governor had no viable political alternative outside the political family that produced him.
“I said during my last media chat that he had no other choice but to return to the same political family that produced him,” he said.
“I have now been informed that he has made that declaration publicly, and we welcome him. Our doors are open. Everyone is welcome for us to work together. There is no better alternative. We will all work together to move the state forward.”
Wike added that the renewed alliance would strengthen political cooperation in Rivers State and enhance efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“He has publicly stated that he has returned to where he started, and we receive him with an open mind. There is nothing to hide. We will all work together to ensure that we deliver the votes President Tinubu needs for his re-election,” he said.
Wike and Fubara had been locked in a prolonged political dispute that sharply divided Rivers State, with lawmakers loyal to the FCT minister initiating impeachment proceedings against the governor before both camps eventually reached a truce.
The reconciliation was followed by Fubara’s decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primary after initially participating in the screening process alongside Chinda.
Explaining his decision, the governor said he stepped down out of conviction and in the interest of peace, unity and political stability in Rivers State.
His withdrawal came shortly after the APC screening committee reportedly cleared aspirants aligned with Wike for the Rivers State House of Assembly primaries while disqualifying several aspirants loyal to Fubara.
