Fresh political battle looms in Rivers State in 2026
Rivers State politics appears to be setting the stage for an interesting political battle in the forthcoming year.
This is in line with reports that the protracted political crisis, as well as the highly publicized peace agreement between the FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and the Rivers Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, may not be entirely resolved, and rather may take a different direction.
On Saturday, the minister of FCT announced at a press briefing with stakeholders of Ahoada East and Ahoada West LGAs that political activities would resume in January 2026.
The statement was made barely a day after the thanksgiving ceremony of the Chairman of the South-South Development Forum, Chibudom Nwuche, who hosted it annually in his town, at Ochigba Community, Ahoada East LGA.
During the briefing, Wike was critical of persons he accused of taking advantage of the efforts of others during the general election of 2023 to elect President Bola Tinubu.
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As he stated, during a tense political climate, there were people who did not show support for Tinubu openly.
He, however, insisted that he and his supporters were solidly behind the President during the challenging days of the election campaign.
Wike said further: “In that 2023, it was not easy for so many people to come out and say, ‘Vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.’”
“But we did it, when it was tough for people to say on your mandate we stand. We stood firm and said on your mandate we stand.
“And to the glory of God, we stood and on your mandate we stand today is very strong.”
“So you are the ones who made the mandate to be strong as far as Rivers State is concerned.”
However, he asked those who have just started appreciating and pledging their loyalty to the President’s mandate, where they were in the year 2023 when their loyalty mattered most.
Instead, these people did not publicly show their allegiance to the President and rally their supporters to vote for him.
He assured his supporters that their struggles will never be in vain.
The minister, however, did not name the people he said benefited from the efforts, sacrifices, and contributions made during the 2023 electioneering process.
During the expression of his appreciation to his supporters at Ahoada, Wike declared: “And we are going forward from January next year. Let me inform you, we will start politics. Let me inform you, we will start what, politics.”
Further speaking, the FCT Minister insisted on the keeping of agreements, and he made clear that he will in no way be part of any agreement which cannot be kept.
“You know me, I believe that agreement is agreement. Agreement is what, agreement,” he said.
“”Anything you know you cannot do, don’t say it. Don’t enter into it.””
“nobody can use us to say let me say yes, I agree, later. No, you can’t do that. Whatever you have agreed in the morning, you have to agree at night.”
“So, do not be worrying yourself about those ones shouting on your mandate we stand. We have shouted when it mattered most.”
“If we did not shout that time and stand firm, will they have shouted now?”
Wike said that he has never hidden his political stand in Nigeria and added that he is one of the most criticized politicians by people who fail to honor an agreement.
He reaffirmed that he and his followers would remain committed to President Bola Tinubu.
The FCT minister expressed his gratitude to the people of Ahoada for their understanding all these years and assured them that there was no need for them to be worried, that they had nothing to fear.
However, he added that they would talk about it later on.
Participants at the thanksgiving ceremony include a number of political bigwigs, including Magnus Abe Senate Representative Philip Aduda Senate Representative Wilson Ake and Senate Representative Olaka Wogu Others who are present are an ambassador designate Aaron Chukwuemeka, OCJ Okocha, Ferdinand Anabrabra, and others.