Wike to political leaders: Support disloyalty, pay the price

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned political office holders against aligning with individuals he described as betrayers, warning that such support could backfire on their own political careers.

Wike gave the warning on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the commissioning of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors headquarters, where he addressed politicians and supporters from across the state.

The former Rivers State governor said leaders who tolerate or encourage disloyalty within their ranks should expect similar treatment in return.

“Whoever is watching this programme, whether you’re a senator, a House of Representatives member, a minister or a governor, and you support betrayers, people will continue to betray you in life,” he said.

He stressed that backing disloyal political actors often leads to long-term consequences, both politically and personally.

“Whether you’re a senator, whether you’re a minister, whether you’re the governor, you sit down and support those who betray. Betrayal is your portion,” Wike added.

The minister also advised governors seeking second terms or planning to install successors to be cautious about fostering disloyalty within their camps, saying it could undermine their ambitions.

“Every governor doing a second term or hoping to put a successor in place, if you support betrayal, you will never survive it.

“Betrayal will follow you from the day your successor comes in,” he said.

Wike maintained that his remarks were meant as a blunt message to political leaders, insisting that loyalty remains critical in leadership and succession politics.

The event drew several political stakeholders and supporters across Rivers State.

Wike has recently been involved in a political rift with his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in December 2025 has altered political alignments in the state and intensified internal tensions.