Despite Rift With Fubara, Wike Says ‘PDP Is United In Rivers’

The former Rivers State governor stated this during a media parley with some selected journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

His remarks come amid the rift between him and his erstwhile political godson and predecessor, Siminalayi Fubara.

“PDP is united in Rivers,” the minister said while calling for aggrieved party members to come together.

“Some people have been governors and lost elections. PDP has held ward, and local government congresses hitch-free.”

After leaving office in May 2023, Wike was later appointed FCT Minister by President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

Last year, Fubara survived an impeachment move by lawmakers loyal to Wike. The oil-rich state has made headlines in recent months owing to the crisis.

Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly have been having a running battle with the pro-Wike lawmakers overriding the governor on some crucial bills in the state.

House Gifts To Judges

During the show, the minister defended the recent acquisition of cars and houses to judges in the nation’s capital.

He argued that the process followed all legal procedures, saying the project was approved in the 2024 budget, and he is only performing his duty of implementing it.

“(Tinubu said) ‘Where are the judges living? They have no homes and are therefore open to political manipulation and for me as a president who wants to guarantee the independence of the judiciary judges must have their homes’.

“I am not Mr President; I am only lucky to be appointed as a minister under this administration and who is in the position to implement his policies. And Mr President said, look, this is what he wants, come up and see what we can do.

“It was approved by Mr President, sent to the National Assembly in the 2024 budget that there should be construction of judges and Justices quarters. That they should move judges from where they are renting houses, living among criminals.

“A policy anybody should commend Mr President, it is in the budget of 2024, appropriated by the National Assembly, assented to by Mr President which is a law. What is the problem? I am only the implementor, go and implement this.

“Federal Executive Council approved the contract and everything, it is not my policy, how will you now want to kill me that I am implementing what the Federal Government approved?” he said.