Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration Minister Nyesom Wike on Thursday said those accusing him of demanding 25 per cent from the Rivers government were ignorant.
Wike stated this when a delegation of the Rivers Caucus in the 10th National Assembly comprising three senators and 11 members of the House of Representatives visited him in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a crisis had broken out in Rivers State, following an attempt by the state House of Assembly to remove the sitting governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The plot in the state House of Assembly, with members mostly loyal to Wike, was a consequence of the worsening crisis between the two men. Wike, a former governor of the state, had helped install Fubara as his successor earlier in the year.
“I was governor for eight years. I am now a Minister of the FCT and some will say that I am asking for 25 per cent. That’s crazy.
“I am not interested in Rivers’ governance; I am not interested. I am here as governor of FCT, but I am interested in the political structure of Rivers, which we have built over the years.
“If someone dares to take him down, he will face the crisis he wants in his life. Act or do not act, but do not touch our political structure.
“Anyone who puts their hand in our structure, anything you see, take it,” he warned.
Wike said this after a meeting with some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in Abuja on Wednesday.
He also accused Fubara of hobnobbing with his political adversaries in the state.
He on Thursday urged members of the Rivers State caucus in the National Assembly not to let the state down but to work as a team for the good of the people of Rivers State.
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The minister said: “When you make a mistake, we will call you and tell you that you are making a mistake. Take it in good faith that we are calling you out because we think you are going off the rails.
“But when we call you, don’t say we expect a 25 percent commission from you or something like that.
“We are all one. We have built this political structure for a long time, since 2015, and we have emerged victorious.
“As an opposition party since 2015, I saw hell. The federal government fought me left, right and center, but with their support we survived.
“When you work as a team, you find that it is difficult for a stranger to beat you at home.”
Earlier, House Minority Leader Kinsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the visit was to identify with the minister.
Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, added that the visit was also aimed at thanking Mr Wike for his support during the 2023 general elections.
He added that he played a key role in their emergence as legislators in the National Assembly.
He said Mr Wike’s appointment was well deserved, condemned the political crisis in the state and declared his full support for Wike.
(YAYA)
