How Nyesom Wike And Akpabio Are In Cold War, Don’t Talk To Each Other
How Nyesom Wike And Akpabio Are In Cold War, Don’t Talk To Each Other
Former governor of Akwa Ibom state and current president of the Nigeria’s senate, Godswill Akpabio is currently not in talking terms with his erstwhile political comrade, Nyesom Wike, the current minister for the federal capital territory.
A source who is privy to the development, told the Reliant.ng that the south-south political leaders fell out with each months ago, particularly at the end of the six month administration of vice admiral Ibok Ette Ibas in September, 2025.
Their fall out stemmed from Senate president Akpabio’s push in the national assembly for the six month administration of vice admiral Ibas as sole administrator of Rivers state, from March-September 2025, to be investigated by the national assembly amid allegation of lack of transparency and accountability by the sole administrator.
The national assembly backed by senate president Akpabio sought to investigate how Ibas spent the N254.34 billion allocated to Rivers state while he presided over the state as a sole administrator from March 2025 to September, 18th, 2025.
In the wake of the call for the investigation, vice admiral Ibas challenged the national assembly’s authority to investigate him, he cited that he was not appointed by the national assembly and was never answerable to them other the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike construed the situation as his being targeted by the Akpabio’s led senate especially as he knows full well that he recommended vice admiral Ibas to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointment as the sole administrator over Rivers state. Wike saw the move to investigate the Ibas administration by the national assembly as a direct confrontation at him and has since then, severed his tiers with Godswill Akpabio and other legislators who pushed for vice admiral Ibas to be investigated by the national assembly.
This is the reason in the face of former governor Nyesom Wike’s face off with a young soldier, Yerima over land dispute in the FCT that senate president Akpabio decided not to comment on the issue. The two politicians are currently wary of each other amidst Wike’s growing unpopularity among the president’s cabinet and Nigerians in general.
Recall that in March, 2025, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the suspension of governor Sim Fubara, his deputy governor and the members of the Rivers state assembly. In the state of emergency declaration, president Bola Ahmed revealed that a sole administrator will be appointed to take over the running of the state from the suspended governor for a period of six months. The president’s state of emergency declaration was in response to the political rift between governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike which at that point, was degenerating into a statewide crisis.
Meanwhile, senate president Godswill Akpabio is reported to have survived an impeachment plot the a group of senators who want the senate president removed over allegation of poor leadership and his being too loyal to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Members of the senate championing Akpabio’s impeachment are said to be drawn across political parties and have formed an interest group known as the “integrity group” to protect the interest of their members in the senate and beyond. The group of senators accuses senate president Godswil Akpabio of being responsible for the president lack of respect for the members of the senate. Another reason the senators are angry with senate president Akpabio is the presidency’s delay in releasing their constituency projects funds.
According to speculations, the senators accuses Akpabio of only fighting for his own interest while neglecting the members of the Senate and trying to lord over them; a situation the members of the integrity group have sworn to challenge.
Reports also suggest that the members of the House of Representatives are equally dissatisfied with their current leadership who are said to be too yoked the the presidency.
