A heated exchange unfolded on News Central TV on Thursday, May 21, 2026, as human rights activist and Founder of TAF Africa, Dr. Jake Epelle, strongly disagreed with comments made by PDP chieftain Collins Ordu regarding the political rift involving Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Epelle, while responding to Ordu during the live interview, said his comments were not driven by hatred for Wike, stressing that he still acknowledged the minister’s contributions in some areas.
“Let me tell you that I don’t hate Wike. Wike, he has his own good side. As a matter of fact, what you don’t even know is that Wike signed the second policy that I did, the first policy, the albinism policy. So I owe him gratitude,” Epelle stated.
The activist, however, challenged claims that Governor Fubara was ungrateful to Wike, arguing that several political figures who previously supported Wike eventually fell out with him.
“Talking about gratitude you mentioned, Fubara wasn’t grateful. Can I take you down memory lane? The former governor of Rivers State, Odili, was grateful, was gracious to Wike, made him SA. Wike disappointed him. Goodluck Jonathan and the wife made him minister. Amaechi made him chief of staff. How grateful was he to Amaechi?” he asked.
Epelle further alleged that Wike no longer maintained relationships with many of the political figures who contributed to his rise in politics. “Everybody that has helped Wike to climb, everybody, today, Wike is against them, and not even in talking terms. Who is more an ingrate in comparison to Fubara?” he said.
According to him, Governor Fubara had endured intense political pressure since assuming office. “Fubara had taken a lot that even me, I would not take. As a matter of fact, what I think he should have done a long time ago is to resign from his position as the governor of Rivers State, because he was totally, absolutely ungovernable. They made life miserable for that young man,” Epelle stated.
He also rejected claims that Wike alone was responsible for Fubara’s emergence as governor, insisting that the mandate came from the people of Rivers State. “It wasn’t Wike who voted him. It was the people of Rivers State that voted him. It was the people of Rivers State that gave him mandate. It was not even the president, Bola Tinubu,” he added.
Epelle also responded to claims that Rivers State only recently experienced instability, arguing that political unrest existed during Wike’s administration as governor. “You talk about peace not being in Rivers State. During the times of Wike, there was anarchy. But because he’s almost a tyrant, he was able to contend some of them the way and manner he wanted,” he said.
He concluded by cautioning against turning public discussions into personal attacks while reiterating his respect for Ordu despite their disagreement. “So don’t come on national television and we want to wash our dirty linen. Again, I respect him. As an elder statesman, I’m not here to abuse him. No, I’m stating the obvious,” Epelle said….See More
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