A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that the defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has significantly reshaped the political landscape of Rivers State, weakening the grip of forces loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Tam-George noted that political calculations in the state have shifted dramatically in the past three weeks, adding that the development appears to have unsettled Wike and his political allies.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, the former commissioner linked Wike’s recent tours of several local government areas in Rivers State to efforts aimed at reasserting lost influence following the governor’s defection.
According to him, Fubara’s move to the APC diminished the leverage previously exercised by the Wike camp over the state government, forcing them to seek alternative strategies to regain relevance and control.
Tam-George, however, warned that the sustained rivalry and political instability generated by the power tussle could have negative consequences for Rivers State and its residents.
“The movement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the APC in the last 21 days has altered the political calculation in Rivers State,” he said.
“In the past two weeks, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has been moving from one local government area to another, issuing threats against the Rivers State Government and, at some point, even verbally attacking the leadership structures of the APC.
“He went as far as accusing some senior leaders and members of the Tinubu administration of visiting Rivers State to allegedly collect money or inducements from the state government.
“What is clearly happening is that the governor’s defection has eroded the leverage that the Wike camp previously had over him, and they are now searching for ways to reassert their influence.
“The unfortunate part is that it is Rivers State and its people that ultimately suffer from this prolonged political instability,” Tam-George added.
