Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed widespread rumors claiming he collapsed, clarifying that he is in good health.
Speaking on Friday during the platinum jubilee celebration of Honourable Ken Chikere in Port Harcourt, Wike also outlined the conditions necessary for a true reconciliation with his former ally and now political rival, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Addressing the ongoing political unrest in Rivers, Wike expressed willingness to pursue peace but stressed that any resolution must involve genuine commitment from all stakeholders, including members of the State and National Assemblies, as well as the two dominant political parties.
“We are people of peace, not conflict. However, peace must be sincere, not a disguise. Everyone involved must participate,” he stated.
He criticized elder statesmen for remaining silent amid the crisis, accusing them of standing idly by without taking meaningful steps to restore stability in the state.
Wike also condemned what he described as attempts at media blackmail, asserting that such tactics would not bring an end to the conflict.
“No amount of blackmail or attempts to discredit will bring about peace. Only humility and a genuine concern for the state’s future can achieve that,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor firmly refuted viral claims that he had collapsed and required emergency medical treatment abroad. Wike explained that his recent overseas trip was solely to attend his son’s graduation ceremony, not for health-related issues.
“I am here, healthy, very strong,” Wike declared. “Some people fabricated stories about me collapsing. I was never ill. But even if I were, am I not human?”
He further warned that those wishing ill on others would face downfall themselves: “Those hoping for others to fall will end up falling themselves—and when they do, it will be irreversible.”
His remarks come amid escalating tensions with Governor Fubara, whom he had backed during the 2023 governorship elections but has since had a major falling out with. Their ongoing feud has plunged Rivers State into political turmoil, eventually prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state.