Rivers crisis deepens: Fubara accused of paying people to attack Wike

The media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of orchestrating social media attacks against his principal by paying individuals to criticize Wike online.

According to reports, Governor Fubara, who has been at odds with Wike, declared on Thursday that he had endured enough disrespect from Wike’s camp and would no longer tolerate further provocations.

Fubara made this statement shortly after signing the ₦1.1 trillion 2025 budget at the State House in Port Harcourt.

Defending his decision to present the budget to only three lawmakers, Fubara argued that the 27 members of the State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had permanently lost their seats. He stated there was no possibility for the defected lawmakers, who are loyal to Wike, to return to the Assembly.

Fubara dismissed allegations of a factional Assembly, emphasizing that the three-member Assembly led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo is the only legitimate legislative authority in the state.

Responding to Fubara’s comments, Olayinka, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, alleged that the governor has been funding individuals to attack Wike on social media. He warned that the governor has not yet experienced the level of backlash he might face.