…Wike does not want to “see himself as a former governor but rather wants to see himself as someone who should be in control of the governance of Rivers State”
Annkio Briggs, Rights Activist and Environmentalist has said Rivers people are not happy with the state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu, but are waiting for the decision to elapse by October 1.
Recall that In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State after a prolonged political crisis in the oil rich state.
President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six months and appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as the sole administrator to take charge of the state during the period.
Over three months into the suspension, Briggs claims that since the development, “people of Rivers State are at the receiving end” of the decision.
In June, President Tinubu, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Suspended Governor Fubara, and the lawmakers met in Abuja where Wike, whose disagreement with the governor led to the crisis, said the parties have resolved their differences and are ready to work together, in a reaction to the outcome of the meeting.
In his words, “We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor has also agreed to work with all of us,” the immediate past governor of the oil-rich state said after a late-night meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
However, the rights activist said nothing has changed in the state despite the meeting among the warring factions, adding that the meeting hasn’t affected the political temperature within the team, in her evaluation during a recent interview.
According to her, Minister Wike does not want to “see himself as a former governor but rather wants to see himself as someone who should be in control of the governance of Rivers State”.
