Wike to Fubara: You’re begging Tinubu but sponsoring people to embarrass his wife

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, of sponsoring some people to embarrass the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, in the state.

Wike said this while reacting to the walkout on the First Lady by some women in Rivers State.

A group of women, on Friday, May 2, 2025, walked out of the renewed hope initiative empowerment programme organised by the office of the First Lady and held in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, demanding the return of Fubara.

Wike, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, described the incident as “very disturbing and embarrassing”, saying Fubara allegedly sponsored the women to embarrass the president’s wife.

The minister, who is in China for official engagements, said: “It is not enough to be visiting people to plead for peace, those who genuinely want peace work and act for it.

“These are the same people pleading for peace, but at the same time doing things that are contrary to what they are pleading for.

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“How can you say you want peace and at the same time, you are sponsoring people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife?

“All those shenanigans won’t bring peace, and I am sure they know that, because they are not sincere with their up and down pleadings for peace.

“As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality that yesterday’s show of shame and we apologize to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the characters and ideals of the people of Rivers State.”

Wike, however, apologised to the First Lady and President Bola Tinubu, saying: “Insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in an event is a direct insult on the office of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as a leader in Rivers State, I apologize.”

In April, Fubara reportedly met with Tinubu in London, the United Kingdom, over the protracted political crisis that culminated in his suspension.

The Star