Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has suggested that the recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State was the only thing that saved Governor Similayi Fubara from a political dead-end.
According to him, the chances of Fubara coming back politically if he had been impeached would have been the end for him politically.
He spoke during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday.
“The emergency rule was all-winning for Governor Fubara because by now he would have been history because the moment you’re impeached, you are out of the way and can’t contest, Fayose noted.
Speaking on the brewing leadership tussle within the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC), he dismissed Governor Fubara’s claim to being the party’s political “001.”
Fayose also argued that occupying the Governor’s office does not automatically confer political leadership. He pointed to Lagos State as a prime example, suggesting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu serves in a system where the ultimate authority remains with President Bola Tinubu.
He concluded with a stern warning for the Rivers Governor to study the political landscape more carefully: “If you read the contest of President Tinubu, he took Governor Fubara to the cleaners, and it’s time for Governor Fubara to learn, the way I learnt after my first tenure as governor.”
To illustrate his point, Fayose referenced the swift reversal of a leadership change in the Lagos State House of Assembly as proof of who truly holds the reins.
“The president that I know hates ingratitude; he controls Lagos from the palms of his hands. For instance, the speaker was impeached, and another person took over in Lagos State. The president, without saying a word, caused the system to restore that speaker because it’s an affront to the president, who is the leader,” Fayose remarked.
He challenged the notion of gubernatorial supremacy, adding: “Will you tell me Sanwo-Olu is the leader in Lagos? Let him come out and say he’s the leader in the state. There are certain things that are said to cause aesthetics. Don’t let it get to your head.”
The controversy stems from Fubara’s December 2025 defection from the PDP to the APC. During a project flag-off, the Governor triumphantly declared his new status:
“Today, I am very happy. I am not just a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC); I am the number one. I have collected my [membership] card, and the form is 001. So, from this moment, I am there [in APC] with all my chest and heart. The message is clear: we are going to do everything to make the 2027 election for Mr President a smooth ride in Rivers State.”
Fubara emphasized that his loyalty was tied to the President’s success, stating: “How do we do it? It is with all of you here. With your support. The only way we can continue to tell Mr President thank you is to support him.”
However, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was quick to puncture this narrative. Wike clarified that party registration is a grassroots process and that “001” is a clerical detail, not a title of command.
“He (Fubara) decamped to APC with whom? 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,” Wike countered.
He further argued that leadership is an intrinsic quality rather than a byproduct of an official title: “There’s nothing like what I have registered in the state as 001. Everybody registered in their own ward… 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.”
