*Slams Fubara-Wike Feud as Money-Sharing Dispute
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Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has ignited controversy by asserting that the ongoing rift between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike is rooted in a battle over money sharing, while branding President Bola Tinubu’s imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers as an unconstitutional power grab, in an exclusive interview with DW Africa Link on Saturday.
In a candid and fiery interview with DW, Rotimi Amaechi, who once served as Rivers State Governor and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, pulled no punches in dissecting the political turmoil engulfing his home state. Addressing the feud between Fubara and Wike—his successor turned political rival—Amaechi dismissed it as a petty squabble over resources.
“The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT Minister is about sharing money. If not, what’s the quarrel?” he questioned. “Nigerians don’t dislike corruption again. I’ve not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is about?”
Amaechi’s remarks come amid a deepening crisis in Rivers, where President Tinubu recently declared a six-month state of emergency, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly, and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) as Sole Administrator. Tinubu justified the move citing political instability and pipeline vandalism, but Amaechi vehemently disagreed, arguing it flouts the 1999 Constitution. “Section 188 states how a governor can leave office—either by death, resignation, or impeachment. It didn’t say that one day you wake up and one man called the President of Nigeria will just throw you out of office,” he said. “It makes democracy unstable.”
The former governor accused Tinubu of orchestrating a “power grab” to intimidate governors ahead of the 2027 elections, suggesting the emergency rule serves as a warning: “If you’re not careful, the president will remove you.” He questioned the president’s selective focus on Rivers, asking, “What about the other parts of the country where there is insecurity? Is the president saying they should impose emergency rule on him?” Amaechi argued that security responsibilities lie with the federal government, not Fubara, making the governor’s punishment unjust. “Why punish a man who did not commit an offense?” he pressed.
Urging resistance, Amaechi called on Rivers people and Nigerians to protest democratically, drawing from his own history of leading demonstrations—once as a student activist against military regimes and later as governor, storming Port Harcourt International Airport. “One day the government will get tired,” he asserted, referencing South Africa’s protest culture despite police pushback. He brushed off social media critics questioning his delayed response, boasting, “Show me one Nigerian leader that has engaged the masses the way I have in terms of protest.”
Amaechi also endorsed the move by PDP governors to challenge Tinubu’s action in court, saying, “Let’s enrich Nigerian jurisprudence. Let’s hear what the judiciary will say.” He refrained from critiquing the National Assembly’s endorsement of the emergency rule, citing his past as a parliamentarian, but urged lawmakers to “check themselves.” On security concerns cited by Tinubu, Amaechi deflected, “I’m not the president. Security in the Constitution rests squarely with the president.”
When asked what advice he’d offer Fubara, Amaechi sidestepped, insisting, “Fubara is not the problem. Rivers people must come out.” He expressed surprise at the Attorney General’s support for Tinubu’s decision but declined to elaborate, noting their past professional ties. Amaechi’s outspoken stance positions him as a key voice in the unfolding drama, reigniting his rivalry with Wike and challenging Tinubu’s authority.
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