Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims of a personal feud with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, stating that the governor remains his "son."

In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Wike addressed growing public speculation about a rift between him and Fubara, who was once considered his political protégé.

“That one is not a battle,” Wike said. “He (Fubara) is my boy, he is my son. Why would I fight with him?”

The former Rivers State governor clarified that his political contention is not directed at Fubara himself, but rather at individuals whom he accused of manipulating the governor for their personal gain.

“I’m only fighting against people who want to take what they did not work for,” he stated. “If you don’t defeat them, they’ll assume they are in charge. You must defeat them thoroughly. Now they are ashamed, because they are being defeated. They are the ones pushing Fubara.”

Speaking further during a media session with select journalists in Abuja on Monday, Wike revealed that Governor Fubara had initiated reconciliation efforts in response to repeated calls for peace by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The President has called for peace on multiple occasions, and I cannot ignore that,” Wike said. “Yes, he (Fubara) came with two governors and an elder statesman. Unfortunately, both governors are from the APC. I won’t pursue him. He says he wants peace, and that’s fine—I also want peace.”

Wike’s remarks come amid escalating political tensions in Rivers State following the suspension of Governor Fubara and an ongoing power struggle involving major political stakeholders in the region.