RismadarVoice Reporters
January 6, 2026
Chairman of the Rivers Elders Council, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s candidacy in the 2023 general election, describing the decision as pivotal to the political stability of Rivers State.
Alabraba made the remarks on Tuesday in Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, during a thank-you visit by the Minister.
The elder statesman described Wike as an icon of contemporary Nigerian politics, praising his pragmatic political approach and leadership style.
According to Alabraba, Wike’s backing of Tinubu, despite remaining in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party at the time, played a crucial role in positioning Rivers State favourably at the national level.
“That singular decision is what has kept Rivers State afloat today,” Alabraba said.
He noted that the minister took two critical political decisions in 2023, one of which was ensuring the emergence of a governor from the Ijaw ethnic nationality, a position he said had eluded the group for 24 years.
“You sacrificed everything, fought many battles, and enthroned a successor from the Ijaw ethnic nationality, a crown that had eluded the Ijaw people for 24 years. You, an Ikwerre man, did it for us,” he said.
In a veiled reference to the current political tension in the state, Alabraba described what he termed the failure of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to show appreciation for Wike’s support as an “aberration,” insisting that the Ijaw people were not known for ingratitude.
“What we are seeing in Rivers State today is an aberration. The Ijaw, as rightly said by others, are not ungrateful people,” he added.
Alabraba also said Wike’s decision to align Rivers State with Tinubu’s presidential bid, while his party retained other elective positions in the state, was a strategic move that continues to benefit the state.
The Rivers Elders Council chairman assured Wike of the continued support of the people ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Let me assure you, Rivers people know where to go. And with Wike, 2027, under the Renewed Hope, is the way to go,” he said.
The comments come against the backdrop of ongoing political developments in the state. In October 2025, Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, met with members of the Rivers Elders Council in what was widely viewed as a reconciliation move following President Tinubu’s reinstatement of Fubara after the declaration of a six-month emergency rule in the state.
At the time, a statement by Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and noted that the Rivers political family was “fully united.”
However, tensions resurfaced in December 2025 following Governor Fubara’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, a move Wike has repeatedly said does not guarantee the Governor a second-term ticket.
In his remarks at the event, Wike thanked the people of Rivers State for their support during the 2023 elections, despite what he described as the uncertainties surrounding President Tinubu’s candidacy at the time.
He also declared his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying lessons had been learnt from past political decisions.
“Here, we have shut the door; no other person other than Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the minister said, adding that he would “correct the mistake” made in 2023.
