Suspended Rivers State Commissioner for Youth Development, Chisom Gbali, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his political allies of masterminding plans to extend the controversial state of emergency declared in the state.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Monday, Gbali alleged that the recent actions and body language of the Sole Administrator appointed by President Bola Tinubu suggest a deliberate plot to create further unrest, thereby justifying an extension of the six-month emergency rule imposed by the presidency.
President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing intelligence reports of imminent attacks on oil installations by militants. The declaration also came amidst the protracted political rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which escalated tensions in the state’s House of Assembly. As part of the emergency measures, Governor Fubara was suspended from office for six months, with a Sole Administrator appointed to oversee the state’s affairs.
However, Gbali expressed concerns over what he described as a “calculated effort” to prolong the emergency rule and destabilize the current administration for political gain ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“There is a plan to extend it and even incite problems before the end of these six months,” he said. “They want to create unrest that would compel the president to make another pronouncement.”
He criticized the current administrator’s approach to governance, alleging the suspension of ongoing projects and the dissolution of state boards and parastatals, which he said contradicts the mandate to restore peace.
“They even planned to install a sole administrator at the local government level. These are all calculated attempts,” Gbali claimed.
He also accused Wike, alongside loyal lawmakers and former local government chairmen whose tenures have ended, of orchestrating the crisis in a bid to maintain political control over the state.
“The issue in Rivers State is between the former governor and the current governor,” Gbali stated. “It is troubling that the FCT Minister would be deeply involved in a state issue when there are more pressing national matters requiring his attention.”
Gbali concluded by questioning the federal government’s priorities, stating that regions experiencing violence and unrest have not seen similar emergency declarations, yet Rivers State — which he insists has remained peaceful — has been singled out for political reasons.
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