Rivers Crisis: Niger Delta Youths Blame Wike, Demand His Sack as FCT Minister

Youths from the Niger Delta have pointed accusing fingers at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.

The youths are demanding his immediate removal from office, insisting that his continued stay as minister is worsening the situation.

The group, operating under the name South South Youths Initiative (SSYI), said the crisis in Rivers State did not occur by chance. They claimed it was deliberately engineered and sustained, to the detriment of governance and development in the oil-rich state.

Speaking during a press briefing held in Port Harcourt on Friday, the National President of SSYI, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar, said the political instability in Rivers State has become a major setback.

He noted that while other states in the country are focusing on economic expansion, industrial growth, and job creation, Rivers State remains entangled in internal political battles.

According to the youths, the situation has distracted the state from meaningful progress and has created uncertainty for investors and residents alike. They argued that the crisis is avoidable and accused Wike of fueling it from outside the state.

The group called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the FCT Minister. They maintained that removing Wike would restore calm and allow the state government to function without interference.

They further warned that failure to act could be interpreted as tacit approval of the crisis by the Presidency. The youths insisted that peace in Rivers State is directly linked to Wike’s exit from the federal cabinet.

Oscar said, “As youths of Rivers State and the South South region, we are not happy with what is happening in Rivers State, when every other state is thinking about industrialization, every other state is boosting their economic situation, Rivers State is faced with an unnecessary political crisis orchestrated by the FCT Minister.

“We are hereby calling on Mr. President to sack the Honorable Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike. We believe that if the minister is sacked, Rivers State will be at peace, except Mr. President want to let us understand that he is the one sponsoring Nyesom Wike to actually go ahead to cause chaos, political turmoil in the state.”

The youths also revisited Wike’s time as governor of Rivers State. They alleged that dissent was suppressed during his administration and that public office holders were unable to challenge or question his decisions.

Moreover, SSYI claimed that despite massive political control, youth empowerment under Wike’s leadership was largely neglected. They said there were no visible job creation efforts, no sustainable skills acquisition programmes, and no impactful empowerment initiatives targeted at young people.

Oscar added, “When Nyesom Wike was the governor of Rivers State, nobody, not even the local government chairman, House of Assembly criticized him, they were all loyalists. Nobody truncated the process or the infrastructural development of Nyesom Wike.

“We want Nyesom Wike to understand that we are not happy with him as youths of the state and as youths of this region.”

On the ongoing impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, the group dismissed allegations of financial misconduct. They described the process as a calculated political attack aimed at weakening the current administration.

The youths accused the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, of acting on external influence rather than the interest of the people. They claimed the lawmakers were being used as “political tools” to destabilise governance in the state.

Likewise, SSYI also issued a political warning ahead of the 2027 general elections. They said continued support for Wike by the federal government could negatively affect President Tinubu’s chances in Rivers State.

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