Rivers State is once again in the headlines as Nyesom Wike, the ever-controversial Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, takes center stage with a dramatic attack on political “opportunists” he claims are cashing in on his hard work during the 2023 general elections. Wike, never one to shy away from the spotlight, made it clear to his supporters that he and his loyalists refuse to be used as mere pawns in the political chess game leading up to the next elections.

Speaking to a crowd of his die-hard followers, Wike didn’t hold back. He boasted about his and his allies’ crucial role in keeping the All Progressives Congress (APC) relevant in Rivers State last year. This comes hot on the heels of a major shakeup: Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike’s own successor, has just defected to the APC and boldly declared himself the party’s new leader in the state. The rivalry is heating up, and Wike’s latest comments are a direct shot at Fubara’s growing influence within the APC.

Wike, famous for his blunt style, hammered home the message of loyalty and political commitment. “Going forward from January next year, we will start politics. You know me, agreement is agreement. Anything you know you cannot do, don't say it. Don't agree to it. Nobody can use us to say yes I agree and later say no. Whatever you agree in the morning, you agree in the night,” he declared, in a not-so-subtle jab at his rivals.

He didn’t stop there. Wike openly mocked those now chanting the pro-Tinubu slogan, “On your mandate we shall stand,” a phrase that’s become the anthem for President Bola Tinubu’s supporters. According to Wike, it was his camp that risked everything to back Tinubu when it actually mattered, not the latecomers now jumping on the bandwagon.

“Don’t worry yourself about those who are shouting ‘On your mandate we shall stand.’ We have shouted when it matters most. If we did not shout that time and stand firm, will they shout now? No!” Wike boasted, claiming his group’s loyalty is the real reason Tinubu’s mandate is strong in Rivers State. He dismissed the current wave of support as nothing more than opportunism.

Wike continued to pat himself and his loyalists on the back, saying, “When it was tough for people to say ‘on your mandate we stand,’ we stood firm and said it. To the glory of God, we stood, and the mandate we stand on today is very strong. So, we are the ones who made the mandate to be strong as far as Rivers State is concerned.”

He then took another swipe at the new APC converts, suggesting their sudden loyalty to Tinubu is only possible because of the groundwork laid by his own supporters. “So, all these people now you are seeing singing ‘on your mandate we stand,’ that time when they were needed most, they couldn’t do that. They couldn’t come out to say ‘vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.’ Now that you stood and voted for him and Rivers State won, I tell you, all your struggles will not go in vain,” Wike assured his base, promising them recognition and rewards.

Despite all the tough talk, Wike stopped short of naming names. But everyone knows who he’s talking about: Governor Fubara and his camp, who have suddenly become vocal Tinubu supporters after reaping the benefits of Wike’s political sacrifices.