Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has opened up on the political events that led to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara abandoning his bid for a second term, blaming the outcome on poor advice from political associates and external interests.

Speaking during the August edition of his monthly media chat aired on Channels Television on Tuesday, Wike said he repeatedly warned Fubara against abandoning the political structure that brought him to power.

SEE MORE: Fubara Corrected His Mistakes, Returned to the Right Political Family – Wike

“I said, look, don’t derail. I came as governor, I had crisis. When I came as governor, there was nothing. They didn’t even relocate the Government House,” Wike said.

The former Rivers governor recalled inheriting an administration with limited resources, revealing that he had to borrow ceremonial vehicles from former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

“When I came, I had to borrow vehicles from the former governor of Ondo, Mimiko, these parade vehicles. Nobody kept any vehicle; I didn’t have one vehicle.

“But before I left as governor, I packed out from Government House one and a half years before. I renovated Government House. I bought vehicles for the governor, the deputy governor and the governor’s wife. I did that,” he stated.

Wike said he expected Fubara to consolidate on the foundation he laid instead of distancing himself from the political family that supported his emergence.

“Somebody had laid a foundation. Look, this is where I stopped. If you continue this way, our dream is to be able to compete with Lagos. What is wrong with that?” he said.

According to the minister, some individuals who had initially opposed Fubara’s emergence as governor later became his close allies and allegedly encouraged him to confront those who backed his political rise.

“Somebody comes, and that’s why you have to be careful. Those who didn’t want you to be governor now became your friends. Obviously, they will destroy you, thinking that coming closer to you is to fight us.

“At the end of the fight, I have not lost anything. What have I lost? Nothing. But you have lost. Your intention was to go for a second term, is it not correct? And you are not going,” Wike said.

Asked whether he still loved Fubara despite their political differences, Wike responded:
“If I don’t love him, why would we support him? That’s the point I’m making.”

The FCT minister disclosed that both camps had at one point considered reconciliation, but political considerations ultimately stalled the process.

“There was a time we all thought, we all agreed, and said, ‘Look, can we allow bygones to be bygones?’ But something fundamental came up in politics.

“They said, ‘Look, if you allow this now, there are those who are here who want to see that we are no longer politically relevant,'” he said.

Wike further alleged that external interests sought to hijack Rivers State for financial gain, claiming some influential individuals advised Fubara to resist his political camp.

“When this thing happened, they were so bitter that they started giving the governor wrong advice: ‘Don’t worry, the law says this, the law didn’t say this.’

“They were sending them aircraft, then they would relax in the jet. To them, they were king. So, for him to continue to be there, they would exert that kind of influence.

“We said no, this cash cow must end now. You won’t have it again. Take as much as you can, but you have to stop,” Wike added.

The political rift between Wike and Fubara began shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023 and later escalated into a prolonged power struggle involving the Rivers State House of Assembly, impeachment threats and a state of emergency.

Although Fubara later obtained nomination forms to contest the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries for a second term, he withdrew from the race in May 2026.

Wike maintained that the political crisis and the decisions taken by the governor during the dispute ultimately cost him the opportunity to seek re-election.

Fresh concerns have emerged over the security of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election after armed hoodlums attacked an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution centre in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.

The attack occurred at the Oyinlola DC Primary School, Ward 2 PVC collection centre, where about 10 armed men reportedly stormed the facility, firing gunshots into the air to disperse election officials and prospective voters before fleeing with three packs of PVCs.

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According to the Osun State Police Command, the attackers remain unidentified. The police said the armed hoodlums invaded the PVC collection centre, fired gunshots into the air to scare away officials and prospective voters, and escaped with the voter cards.

No casualties were recorded during the incident.

The attack has heightened public anxiety ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election, with concerns over the security of electoral materials and the integrity of the voting process.

Although the stolen PVCs are unlikely to be used to cast votes due to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which requires biometric verification before accreditation, stakeholders warn that the incident could still disenfranchise legitimate voters or be aimed at creating fear and disrupting the electoral process.

Security experts have called on INEC, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to intensify investigations, recover the stolen PVCs and bring those responsible to justice.

They also urged election officials to monitor polling units linked to the stolen voter cards and ensure that any attempt to use them on election day is detected and dealt with in accordance with the law.

With the Osun governorship election just days away, the incident has renewed calls for tighter security around electoral facilities to protect the credibility of the electoral process and reassure voters of their safety.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the public display of the personal particulars and academic credentials submitted by candidates for the 2027 general elections, starting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The exercise commenced on Saturday in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires the electoral body to publish candidates’ nomination documents within 21 days of receiving them.

SEE ALSO: ‘Resign and Go in Peace’ — Okonkwo Tells Tinubu, Faults INEC Endorsement

Documents contained in Form EC9 show that President Tinubu submitted a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University, United States. His transcript indicates the degree was awarded with honours on June 22, 1979.

The records also include his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, showing he served in Oyo State between December 1982 and November 1983.

According to the nomination form, Tinubu’s employment history includes Mobil Nigeria Limited, where he worked from 1983 to 1992 before leaving for “advancement,” the Lagos State Government, where he served until the “legal end of tenure” in 2007, and the Federal Government, where he has served since assuming office in 2023.

The form lists his date of birth as March 29, 1952, his place of birth as Lagos, and his occupation as a politician. While his university qualification is fully stated, the years for his primary and secondary education were entered as “0000.”

Vice President Shettima’s documents outline his educational journey from primary school to postgraduate studies. Records show he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978 before moving to Government Secondary School, Potiskum, where he obtained his WAEC certificate in 1983.

He later graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Agriculture from the University of Maiduguri in 1989 and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.

His NYSC discharge certificate shows he completed national service between October 1989 and October 1990.

Explaining the exercise, INEC stated that “Form EC9 contains the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties.”

The commission said the documents have been displayed at its offices nationwide to allow members of the public to inspect them.

It also reminded Nigerians that the Electoral Act permits interested persons to obtain certified true copies of nomination documents and seek legal redress where allegations of false declaration or forgery arise.

Meanwhile, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections will commence later in accordance with the commission’s revised timetable.