Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has issued a stern warning to elected public officials he accused of backing disloyalty while plotting to install preferred successors, saying such actions inevitably rebound on those who encourage them.
Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of the Rivers State headquarters of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Wike said political leaders who align themselves with betrayal should expect the same treatment in return.
Without mentioning names, he cautioned that position or status offers no protection from the consequences of disloyal alliances.
“Whether you’re a senator, rep member, minister, or governor and you support betrayers, people will also betray you in life,” he said.
Wike also warned second-term governors nursing succession plans, arguing that attempts to impose successors through disloyal strategies often end badly.
READ ALSO: We Don’ t Need A Governor To Mobilise For Tinubu- Wike Declares
“Every second term governor who has an ambition to put a successor and is supporting betrayal, you’ll never survive it. From the day your successor comes in…my own took so many months… your own will start immediately the person is inaugurated,” he said.
The remarks come amid Wike’s ongoing political standoff with his successor, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Beyond internal party dynamics, the FCT minister reaffirmed his unwavering support alongside his political allies and supporters for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He insisted that Rivers State does not require a sitting governor to mobilise support for the president.
Commending the Rivers State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Desmond Akawor, Wike praised the group’s grassroots mobilisation efforts and declared that Rivers would deliver massive support for Tinubu’s re-election.
“Desmond Akawor, you have shown enough capacity to mobilise, you have moved to all the nooks and crannies of Rivers to talk about Tinubu for President in 2027,” Wike said.
He further described Rivers as firmly aligned with the president, stressing the scale of political organisation already in place.
“I have said before that Rivers State is a no-go area, and I want to say again that this State is totally for Tinubu. We have made sure that all the 23 local governments and zonal coordinators were inaugurated. That day, Nigerians all over the world watched that Rivers State is a no-go area,” he added.
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Wike said the commissioning of vehicles and the secretariat of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors marked a milestone for the movement in the region.
“Today, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Coordinator has also invited us to commission some vehicles that the headquarters of the Secretariat will use and to commission the Secretariat itself.This is the first of its kind in this part of the country,” he said.
Challenging critics, Wike emphasised that the group’s support for Tinubu goes beyond rhetoric. “I challenge anybody, let them come to Rivers State and learn.
Our commitment is not by mouth, our commitment is not by newspaper; ours is by showing, that yes indeed, we are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He reiterated that Rivers has sufficient political structures to mobilise independently. “We don’t need to have a governor to mobilise for Mr. President, we don’t need.We have all it takes to be on our own; we have senators, assembly people, council chairmen, National Assembly members, party chairmen of APC and PDP,” Wike stated.
According to him, genuine political support requires personal sacrifice and organisation, not dependence on external resources. “We have mobilized ourselves to make commitment.
If you say you are supporting somebody, there is no need for the person to bring his resources, you have to make commitment and this is what our leaders have done,” he said.
Wike thanked supporters for their loyalty, describing Rivers as a model for other states.
“Let me once again thank all of you for your commitment, you are the envy of every other state and they are watching you all over the place,” he said.
Reflecting on the 2023 elections, Wike said the state’s support for Tinubu was voluntary and decisive. “In 2023, we came out without anybody pressuring us.Without anybody influencing us, we took a decision.To the glory of God that decision is what we are enjoying today, and whether anybody likes it or not, 2027 when the President has shown interest that he will run, we have no choice than to continue to support Mr President,” he declared.
He urged Akawor to deepen mobilisation at the grassroots by inaugurating ward and unit coordinators. “Mr. coordinator, you have to start preparing to inaugurate ward and unit coordinators, it is very important, we must also take it down to the units, to go and talk to our people to continue to support Mr. President, go and see the situation room, go and see the radio station, we are battle ready, there is nothing we can not do because unity is strength,” Wike said.
Earlier, Akawor welcomed Wike and Rivers residents to the event, praising the minister for providing leadership to the Renewed Hope Ambassadors movement in the state.
He said coordinators have already been appointed across all 23 local government areas of Rivers State to drive the group’s activities.
