The Federal Government has distanced itself from the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, his supporters, and Governor Similaye Fubara.
Following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asserted that the federal government played no role in instigating the crisis. When questioned about whether the federal government aligns with Wike’s position as a federal cabinet member, the information minister responded:
“Well, he is a federal cabinet member, and he is involved in the situation in the state. That cannot be a federal government position. How can it be the federal government’s position? The federal government is always interested in the well-being of all the states, and in that regard, the federal government will always collaborate with everyone in Nigeria to ensure peace and tranquility in all parts of the country. However, what has happened in Rivers is not a creation of the federal government. It is a political issue brewing in the state.”
Addressing Asari Dokubo’s claim that President Bola Tinubu ignored the escalating crisis in Rivers State, Idris clarified that Dokubo’s message was advisory in nature. The minister emphasized that an advisory allows time to see if the advice is heeded and does not imply any federal government involvement in creating the problem:
“I saw Asari Dokubo’s message. It was advisory. He made an advisory. When you make an advisory, you allow time to see whether the person you have given the advice will look at it again and come back to you. That does not suggest anything. That doesn’t suggest that the federal government created that problem. It was never a creation of the federal government. It is a creation of the political situation in River State.”
