Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has questioned claims of political leadership in Rivers State, criticising Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s declaration of himself as “001” in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fayose made the remarks during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, where he compared the situation in Rivers State with Lagos, arguing that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu cannot be regarded as the political leader of Lagos State. According to him, that role belongs to President Bola Tinubu, a former governor of the state.
To support his argument, Fayose referenced the recent impeachment and subsequent reinstatement of the Lagos State House of Assembly speaker, describing the reversal as clear evidence of Tinubu’s dominant political influence in the state.
“The president that I know hates ingratitude; he controls Lagos from the palms of his hands,” Fayose said. “The speaker was impeached and replaced, yet without saying a word, the system restored him because it was seen as an affront to the president, who is the leader.
“Will you tell me Sanwo-Olu is the leader in Lagos? Let him come out and say he’s the leader in the state. Some things are said for aesthetics. Don’t let it get to your head,” he added.
Fayose also described the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State as a political lifeline for Governor Fubara, arguing that it saved him from impeachment and political extinction.
“The emergency rule was all-winning for Governor Fubara because by now he would have been history. Once you’re impeached, you’re out of the way and can’t contest,” Fayose said. “If you read the body language of President Tinubu, he took Governor Fubara to the cleaners. It’s time for him to learn, just as I learnt after my first tenure as governor.”
The comments come amid a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, stemming from a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, over control of the state’s political structure.
In December 2025, Fubara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. During the flag-off of the Rivers Airport Bypass Project on December 12, he publicly declared his loyalty to the ruling party and President Tinubu, describing himself as “number one” in the APC in Rivers State.
“I am not just a member of the APC; I am the number one. I have collected my membership card, and the form is 001,” Fubara said, pledging full support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
His defection followed the movement of 15 Rivers State House of Assembly members, including Speaker Martin Amaewhule, to the APC.
However, Wike later dismissed Fubara’s claim to leadership within the party, insisting that APC registration is conducted at ward and local government levels and that there is no statewide “001” position.
“He decamped to APC with whom? What is 001? There is nothing like 001 in the state,” Wike said. “You register in your ward and local government. If you are 001, it is only in your ward.
“Leadership is not because you are a governor or a minister. You must have something that truly makes you a leader,” he added.
About The Author
