By Amah
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Political tensions in Rivers State escalated on Friday after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, accused the state government of deliberately obstructing political activities linked to supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the allegation in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of senatorial and local government coordinators of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a pro-Tinubu political group.
According to the former Rivers governor, the state government denied his group access to the General Yakubu Gowon Stadium, a major public facility, despite what he described as a formal and legitimate application.
“We applied to the state government for the use of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, and they refused us,” Wike told supporters.
The FCT minister condemned the refusal, describing it as politically motivated and unprecedented, and warned that continued denial of access to public facilities could provoke confrontation.
“Next time, if we apply and you don’t approve it, we will take it by force,” Wike declared.
“We are all Rivers people. Nobody can deny us the facilities of our own state. Heaven will not fall.”
He insisted that political differences should not be used to bar any group from using state-owned infrastructure, warning that such actions could heighten political tensions in the state.
Despite the stadium denial, the event eventually held at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, another facility owned by the Rivers State Government.
Notably absent from the inauguration were Governor Siminalayi Fubara and key figures aligned with the state government, deepening perceptions of a widening political rift between the governor and his predecessor.
Wike also used the occasion to signal the formal commencement of political mobilisation ahead of 2027, boasting that Rivers State was leading early efforts in support of President Tinubu’s administration.
“Support is not by mouth,” he said. “We have shown our commitment with action. Other states may follow, but Rivers will lead.”
He further disclosed that ward-level political activities would soon commence across the state.
Observers warn that the minister’s remarks, particularly his threat to forcibly access public facilities, could inflame an already volatile political environment in Rivers State if not de-escalated.
