Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has shed light on the ongoing tension between the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking on Friday, the 9th of January, 2026, during an interview on The Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television, Effiong described the situation in Rivers as “a clear political enmity between Wike and Fubara.”
He explained that the conflict is largely driven by the state’s abundant resources, highlighting that Rivers is “endowed with rich mineral resources, petroleum, which is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.”
“Let me make the point. I don’t want Nigerians to be carried away. What is playing out in Rivers is a matter of legal sophistry, a clear political enmity between FCT minister Wike and Fubara,” Effiong said.
The lawyer added that constitutional debates are only a part of the story. “So let us not just be talking about the constitution. I think the House of Assembly itself never really cared about the constitution.”
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Effiong argued that the conflict is deeply political and tied to the control of state resources. “This is politics that also has to do with the allocation of the state. This is a state that is so rich, so endowed with resources.”
He further claimed that allegations over financial interests have escalated the dispute. “We are dealing with a situation where the FCT minister has alleged that there is about N600 billion for grab and he is accusing some political actors in the country of having interest in that money. So this is about the money of River State. This is about the interest of individuals, which has now been elevated as a state affair.”
On the role of governance in the feud, Effiong questioned the real motives behind the clash: “Because what is really the grievance between the State Assembly and the government? Are they fighting over the roads that the government has failed to construct? Is this about the healthcare for the people of Rivers State?”