The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his full political support for President Bola Tinubu and pledged to mobilise backing for the President across Rivers State.

Wike stated in a post that he had visited the Oyigbo and Ogu-Bolo local government areas and was proceeding to Akuku-Toru and Degema. He described the engagements as part of local political activities and stated that support for President Tinubu in the state was total.

“Yesterday, we were in Oyigbo and Ogu-Bolo LGAs. Today, we will be in Akuku-Toru and Degema LGAs. Here, it is local politics, and our support for Mr President is total,” Wike wrote.

The statement followed Wike’s recent appearance in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area, where he praised President Tinubu for nominating Senator Magnus Abe as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Kenneth Kobani as a non-executive member of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

During the visit, Wike stated that the appointments reflected the President’s consideration for the state of Rivers.

Wike said Rivers State had benefited significantly from federal appointments under the Tinubu administration, adding that the level of inclusion was unprecedented since the creation of the state. He urged residents to continue to support the President and his administration.

The former Rivers State governor has remained publicly aligned with Tinubu since the 2023 presidential election.

He was one of the key political figures from the South-South region who openly supported Tinubu’s candidacy, despite internal divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of which he was expelled.

Wike has maintained that his political decisions are guided by what he describes as fairness, equity and political agreements reached ahead of the 2023 polls. He has repeatedly stated that support given to Tinubu during the election period was deliberate and sustained.

Despite the political tensions between him and the governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, who is now a member of the APC, Wike has continued to play an active role in Rivers politics while serving as FCT minister.

The Rivers State APC chapter has also warned him against interfering in the party’s affairs, especially as it concerns his strained relationship with the current governor.

“We may ask the President to choose between us and his FCT minister if Wike continues to behave as if only he can serve the political interests of the President in Rivers State or any other state for that matter. He is not a member of this party,” a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) stated.

In a statement, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, asked the minister to resign his appointment, stressing that his position on the leadership structure of the APC in Rivers State was being deliberately misrepresented by Wike to achieve mischievous ends.

The APC scribe maintained that the convention, which recognises sitting governors as leaders of their parties in their respective states, is long-standing and does not amount to meddling in Rivers’ politics. He described Wike’s actions as excessive and unbecoming of a serving minister.

“It is shocking that such an innocuous statement can elicit such uncouth responses from no less than a member of the Federal Executive Council,” Basiru said, adding that Wike’s remarks amounted to clear interference in Rivers APC affairs, which he insisted was inappropriate given that the minister is not a member of the party.

Meanwhile, Wike affirmed that his involvement in the state’s political affairs is rooted in his long-standing relationship with the people and his role in building political structures across the state.