ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has questioned Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s claim to political leadership in Rivers State, faulting his self-identification as “001” in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fayose made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television aired on Tuesday, where he challenged the idea that holding executive office automatically confers political leadership within a party.
Drawing a comparison with Lagos State, Fayose argued that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu does not occupy the position of political leader in Lagos, insisting that such authority rests with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of the state.
To buttress his argument, Fayose referenced the recent impeachment and subsequent reinstatement of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, describing the reversal as proof of Tinubu’s enduring influence over the state’s political structure.
“The President that I know detests ingratitude and controls Lagos with authority,” Fayose said.
“A Speaker was impeached and another person took over. Without making a public statement, the system restored the Speaker because the action was seen as an affront to the President, who is the leader.”
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ioned whether Governor Sanwo-Olu could publicly claim to be the political leader of Lagos, warning against allowing ceremonial titles to inflate political egos.
“Will you tell me that Sanwo-Olu is the leader in Lagos? Let him come out and say so. Some statements are made for aesthetics. Don’t let it get to your head,” Fayose added.
The former governor also described the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State as a political reprieve for governor Fubara, arguing that it spared him from imminent political extinction.
“The emergency rule worked in governor Fubara’s favour. By now, he would have been history because once you are impeached, you are out and can’t contest,” Fayose said.
He added that President Tinubu’s handling of the situation should serve as a lesson for Fubara, noting that political survival requires humility and experience.
“If you read the conduct of President Tinubu, he took governor Fubara to the cleaners. It’s time for Fubara to learn, just as I learnt after my first tenure as governor,” he stated.
Fayose’s comments come against the backdrop of a prolonged power struggle between governor Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over control of Rivers State’s political machinery.
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 allegiance to the ruling party and President Tinubu.
“Today, I am not just a member of the APC; I am number one. I have collected my membership card, and it is 001,” Fubara had said.
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He further pledged to mobilise support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, promising to ensure a smooth electoral outing for the President in Rivers State.
However, Wike later dismissed Fubara’s claim, insisting that there is no such designation as “001” within the APC at the state level.
“He decamped to APC with whom? What is 001?” Wike asked. “There is nothing like 001 in the state. Registration is done at ward and local government levels.”
According to Wike, being the first to register in a ward does not confer leadership status, stressing that political leadership is earned through influence, structure and capacity, not by virtue of occupying public office.
“Leadership is not because you are a governor or a minister. You must have something that makes you a leader,” Wike said.