At the time, Wike supported Godwin Obaseki to become the governor of Edo State in the 2020 governorship election in the state after the latter fell out with his political godfather, Adams Oshiomhole.
Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who had vowed that godfatherism would not work in Rivers State, is now doing everything to lord it over his successor and current governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, who was the governor of Rivers State for eight years between May 2015 and May 2023, has been battling to control political events in the state.
Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in a viral interview he granted in 2020 while in office as governor of Rivers State, told the interviewer that godfatherism may have worked in Lagos State but wouldn't work in Rivers.
At the time, Wike supported Godwin Obaseki to become the governor of Edo State in the 2020 governorship election in the state after the latter fell out with his political godfather, Adams Oshiomhole.
"It may happen in Lagos State but it will not happen in Rivers. We are quite different,” he said.
“As governor, I will come and go, I can't stop it. I must come and go. Odili (referring to Peter Odili who was the state governor from 1999 to 2007) came and he left. You have never heard Odili saying that you will do this, you will not that. The day my tenure by the grace of God finishes, I will go.
"When you are in a position to think that what is happening in Lagos State, we will do it here; it may be difficult. You cannot continue to say you must be godfather of the state; that is the problem. It is not possible.
"The day I leave here in the name of the Almighty God, I have no business to say I must," produce my successor, "why must I produce? Why? What have I hidden? People of the state should be able to say this is who they want to produce."
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed regrets supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara to succeed him as the governor of Rivers State.
Many allies of the immediate past governor of Rivers State had indicated interest in succeeding him but Wike threw his weight behind the politician who served as his Accountant-General.
After defeating 16 other contenders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Rivers, Fubara, who secured 721 votes, had specially thanked Wike for his support.
He had gone ahead to win the March governorship election. However, less than six months after he took over, Fubara fell out with Wike and efforts to reconcile the duo have not yielded the desired result.
The crisis reached its height when a Rivers High Court restrained lawmakers loyal to Wike from parading themselves as members of the state assembly.
Speaking at a function in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers, at the weekend, Wike asked the lawmakers to entertain any fear over what he described odd hour injunction.
“If they like, they can go to anybody by 2am or 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We must follow due process,” he said.
“Don’t be afraid. Nobody will remove you as lawmakers. Most of you don’t understand. This is our work. Our business is to make them to fear. That is what I am doing. We will make them to be angry every day and they will continue to make mistakes. So don’t worry yourselves. We won’t give money to anybody to go and buy arms to kill anybody. I have maintained peace and I want to beg all of you to continue to maintain peace.
“Nobody will tell me that I can’t live in my house or not go to my house. But all of you should maintain the peace. Follow law and due process. We will get to the end.
“As you see me, I stand straight. I think well. I came with Senator Magnus Abe. I work with people that have brains.
“In politics, when people with brains agree they disagree. Those, who don’t know what to do said they would bring me down. Who born them? They are nowhere. When you are in charge, you are in charge.
“Everything will calm down. All these people running around, they would come down. Boma worked for his appointment, he showed loyalty and commitment, and that is why God placed him there. Don’t worry. Let me also advise you: forget about how they abuse us. You must be alive for people to abuse you. If you are dead, will they abuse you? At the appropriate time when the results will be announced, we will know who is who. We have defeated them severally.
“Some of them ran to Abuja, but when I went to Abuja, they ran back here. Have you not seen the way Abuja is moving? No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty and I want to thank you.”
He also apologised to the people of the state for the “mistake” he made supporting Fubara, vowing that the mistake would be corrected at the appropriate time.
“I want to say this clearly: in life, we make mistakes. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But we will correct it at the appropriate time.
“I am human. I am bound to make mistakes. So forgive me for making a wrong judgment. So nobody should kill.”
Apparently responding to a remark Fubara directed at him, Wike said he has asked no one to worship him.
Last week, Fubara had said he appreciates Wike for supporting him to become governor, but would not worship him.
Responding at the programme, Wike said, “God uses people to help others. So when you have been helped, you appreciate them. God will know you have appreciated him. Nobody can worship man. All of us believe that it is only God we will worship.
“As politicians, we appreciate people who have helped us. When I came to ask you to support me, you supported me. Did I worship you? Did I ask you to worship me? If you had not supported me, I would not have been where I am. Did you tell me to worship you? So where does the issue of worship come from?”
Meanwhile, Wike has expressed regrets about supporting Fubara to succeed him as the governor of Rivers State.
However, less than six months after Fubara took over, he fell out with Wike and despite efforts made by President Bola Tinubu to reconcile the duo, the crisis has not abated.
Last week, a Rivers High Court restrained lawmakers loyal to Wike from parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly.
Speaking at a function in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers, at the weekend, Wike said, “Those, who don’t know what to do said they would bring me down. Who born them? They are nowhere. When you are in charge, you are in charge.
“Everything will calm down. All these people running around, they would come down. Boma worked for his appointment, he showed loyalty and commitment, and that is why God placed him there. Don’t worry. Let me also advise you: forget about how they abuse us.
‘You must be alive for people to abuse you. If you are dead, will they abuse you? At the appropriate time when the results will be announced, we will know who is who. We have defeated them severally.
“Some of them ran to Abuja, but when I went to Abuja, they ran back here. Have you not seen the way Abuja is moving? No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty and I want to thank you.”
He also apologised to the people of the state for the “mistake” he made supporting Fubara.
He, however, vowed that the mistake would be corrected at the appropriate time.
“I want to say this clearly: in life, we make mistakes. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But we will correct it at the appropriate time.
“I am human. I am bound to make mistakes. So forgive me for making a wrong judgment. So nobody should kill.”
Last week, Fubara said he appreciated Wike for supporting him to become governor, but would not worship him.
Reacting to the governor’s comment, Wike said, “God uses people to help others. So when you have been helped, you appreciate them. God will know you have appreciated him.
“Nobody can worship man. All of us believe that it is only God we will worship. As politicians, we appreciate people who have helped us.
‘When I came to ask you to support me, you supported me. Did I worship you? Did I ask you to worship me? If you had not supported me, I would not have been where I am. Did you tell me to worship you? So where does the issue of worship come from?”