Wike to Uzodinma: You Came to My State to Cause Confusion – ‘You Didn’t Know You Were Fighting with F!re’
Wike to Uzodinma: You Came to My State to Cause Confusion – ‘You Didn’t Know You Were Fighting with Fire’
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday night fired a sharp response at Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, accusing him of interfering in Rivers State politics and warning that the move was a miscalculation.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Wike declared that Uzodinma “came to my state to cause confusion” and added, “You didn’t know you were f!ghting with f!re.”
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between Wike and several All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, particularly Uzodinma, who chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum. The governors had recently rejected any political arrangement outside the APC, including Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, arguing it could create divided loyalties and undermine President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Wike used the Arise TV appearance to push back, insisting his support for Tinubu’s re-election remains firm while rejecting any suggestion that he must abandon his own political structures or dictate candidates for other parties. He questioned the electoral performance of some APC governors, including in Imo State, where he noted that Tinubu received a low share of the presidential vote in 2023 despite the APC winning National Assembly seats.
Political observers say the exchange reflects deeper rivalries over influence in the South-East and South-South ahead of the 2027 elections, with both men positioning themselves as key players in Tinubu’s camp.
Wike’s blunt style has long defined his public interventions, and the latest comments are expected to further heat up the intra-party and inter-party manoeuvring already underway.
