Former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara does not belong to the Ijaw ethnic group.
Speaking at a reception organized in his honor by the Kalabari people, Wike asserted that an Ijaw candidate could not have become governor in Rivers State without his support, referencing Fubara’s rise to power.
He further argued that the Ijaw ethnic group does not hold a majority in any Niger Delta state except Bayelsa, dismissing claims about Fubara’s Ijaw identity.
Amid the ongoing political tensions between the two leaders, Wike stressed that the people of Opobo, Fubara’s hometown, do not represent true Ijaw heritage. Addressing the Kalabari people, he cautioned them against believing otherwise.
“Let nobody deceive you that the governor is Ijaw; he is not. You are all Ijaw, but are you benefiting from it? Politics is about interests,” Wike stated.