Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged his supporters to remain calm despite the renewed political face‑off between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara spoke at the New Year banquet held on Thursday, January 1, at Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said his camp has deliberately avoided trading words because they understand what is happening, unlike those he said are making noise.
According to him, those who are “barking” are doing so because they do not understand.
He also reassured supporters that his administration has put arrangements in place to keep governance steady and to secure his re‑election bid.
He said, “Don’t be disturbed by what is happening. Caesar in one of his quotes said, the only reason the dog barks is when it doesn’t understand.
“If you have a dog in your house and it knows you, does it need to bark? So when the dog starts backing maybe it is seeing something it doesn’t understand.
“We are not barking because we understand. We know where we are going and we have set all the things that are needed to make the journey smooth”.
READ ALSO: Wike Accuses Fubara of Violating Tinubu-Brokered Deal, Threatens to Expose Details
Fubara’s remarks come amid escalating public exchanges with Wike over the political crisis that has gripped Rivers State since 2023.
First Daily reports that on Wednesday, December 30, Wike accused the governor of breaking an agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu to end the Rivers crisis.
Speaking during a thank‑you visit to Tai Local Government Area, Wike claimed the deal was reached during a closed‑door meeting convened by Tinubu at the State House in Abuja in June 2025.
Although both camps later pledged to work for peace, the terms of the agreement were not publicly disclosed.
Wike, however, said Fubara had failed to honour it and threatened to expose what was agreed.
“After agreeing on something, you renege. And you think you are a smart politician? You are clever by half.
“Very soon, we will let Rivers people know what we agreed before Mr President. This agreement was not done anywhere; before Mr President. If you can renege on what we agreed before, Mr President, then who are we?” he asked.
Wike also declared his camp “battle-ready,” insisting money would not decide the next contest in Rivers and warning that the 2023 outcome could be “corrected.”
The renewed sparring signals that despite earlier attempts at reconciliation, the Rivers political conflict remains unresolved as both camps position themselves for the next election cycle.