Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has said the biggest mistake made by his successor, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was attempting to build an independent political structure too early after taking office, describing it as an undermining of the very network that brought him to power.

Speaking at a media chat in Port Harcourt, Wike said he had laid a strong infrastructural foundation for Fubara to build on, including the multi-billion naira Port Harcourt Ring Road project and twelve flyovers he commissioned before leaving office, with the goal of helping Rivers State catch up with Lagos in development. He said Fubara instead began building his own structure within roughly 100 days of taking office, a move Wike said clearly signaled something had gone fundamentally wrong. Wike said politicians must be careful about whom they trust, noting that some advisers around a new leader mean well while others seek only to advance their own interests, and argued that Fubara’s early moves to sideline those who supported him created an opening for people who never wanted him to succeed. He dismissed rumors that he had personally demanded money from Fubara, saying such claims typically surface whenever political disagreements arise, and insisted his only interest was in seeing the governor stabilize the state and build on existing achievements