Fubara made the remark on Friday while receiving the Man of the Year Award from New Telegraph.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that he would not have become governor without the backing of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying the former governor discovered him and provided the platform that paved the way for his emergence.

Fubara made the remark on Friday while receiving the Man of the Year Award from New Telegraph.

He dedicated the award to Wike despite the lingering political tension between them.

The governor said Wike’s support brought him into the political spotlight and shaped his journey to the Government House.

“I do not care how you interpret it or misinterpret it. I also dedicate this award to somebody who discovered me, not minding the situation — the Honourable Minister of the FCT, my oga, Nyesom Wike.

“Without him, I wouldn’t be standing here as governor. He discovered me and that discovery gave me this loudness. Thank you for everything.

“I also dedicate this award to the people of Rivers State who have shown support, calmness and maturity that has brought us this far.”

Koikimedia reports that Fubara and Wike have been locked in a prolonged political rift in the state.

Fubara, a former Accountant-General of Rivers State, was widely seen as Wike’s political protégé ahead of the 2023 governorship election, securing the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party with the former governor’s backing.

Their relationship later deteriorated, sparking a political crisis that split the Rivers State House of Assembly and fuelled a battle over the control of the state’s political structure.

The impasse, which attracted nationwide attention, was eventually resolved after the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who brokered peace between both camps and restored relative calm to the state.

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