Wike Says no one Dictates for Him when It Comes to Rivers Politics, Including Tinubu

According to a report by Daily Post on Monday 5 January, 2026, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has brushed aside talk that anyone – President Bola Tinubu included – could dictate his political moves in Rivers State as the 2027 elections draw closer.

He spoke over the weekend in Ahoada Local Government Area, where he met with supporters and addressed the growing speculation about his role in the state’s political direction. The former Rivers governor sounded clearly unimpressed by reports making the rounds.

According to Wike, some people have been going around claiming that the president would eventually step in, place a call, and give him marching orders on Rivers politics. He dismissed that narrative outright, describing it as pure fiction.

And more than that, he suggested that no amount of political sloganeering would replace actual decision-making. Repeated chants and public displays of loyalty, he hinted, should not be mistaken for automatic access to party tickets or endorsements. The comment appeared to be aimed, at least indirectly, at Governor Siminalyi Fubara.

Daily Post recalls that Fubara recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, a move that has continued to stir debate within the state’s political circles.

Still, Wike maintained that when it comes to Rivers State, his choices would be guided by his own assessment of the situation and what he believes serves the state best. Outside pressure, he insisted, would not factor into that equation.

“I hear that people are boasting that they (President Tinubu) will call me and give me instructions. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like instruction as far as Rivers State is concerned. Nobody will call me. If you like shout ‘on your mandate’ 50 times a day, it won’t give you an automatic ticket.

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