The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
He mocked the governor for declaring himself the “001” of the state.
Fubara had made the declaration after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. During his registration with the APC in Rivers State, he was assigned 001 on his membership.
However, speaking on Monday at his end-of-the-year media parley in Port Harcourt, Wike stated that Fubara can only be 001 in his ward.
Wike said, “He [Fubara] decamped to APC with who? What is 001? Let me tell you, there’s nothing like 001 in the state.
“You register in your ward and local government, so if you are 001, it’s in your ward.
“There’s nothing like 001. There’s nothing like I have registered in the state as 001. Everybody registered in their own ward. You could be the first person to register, but that’s not your position.”
On Fubara being the leader of the party in Rivers State, Wike said, “I don’t know about that because if he says so, who is the leader of APC in Lagos State?
“So there are some exceptions to the rule, so let’s not go into other things.
“See, leadership is not because I’m a governor. Leadership is not because I’m a minister. You must have something that makes you a leader.”