The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has alleged that Governor Siminlayi Fubara of Rivers State burnt the state House of Assembly Complex to avoid impeachment.

In a chat with journalists on Friday in Abuja, the immediate past Rivers governor alleged that his successor masterminded the attack to escape the impeachment move by 27 of 32 state lawmakers.

“If they were impeaching you, did you call me? Assuming I’m the one who prompted it, for example, you didn’t call me to say, sir, they want to impeach me,” said Mr Wike, who referred to Mr Fubara.

He added, “Is that why you will send people to go and burn the hallowed chamber? Is an impeachment process a one-day affair? Then you raised ethnic politics; we’ve never had it like this before.”

The state has been embroiled in a political crisis following the power tussle between the duo on the control of the state’s structures.

Although President Bola Tinubu reportedly waded into their feud, their matter seems unresolved as Mr Wike insisted that he is only being calm because he respects the president and does not want to disobey him.

“Anything that will not make me respect Mr President is not there,” he added.

Mr Wike, who slammed Mr Fubara for allegedly taking laws into his own hands, described the governor as an ingrate. The minister also accused him of bringing ethnic sentiments into the state’s politics.

When contacted by Peoples Gazette, Mr Fubara said he was too mature to respond to Mr Wike’s accusations because the minister is entitled to his opinion.

“So you expect me to respond to him? He can say anything he wants to say. I’m too mature to respond to him,” the governor said. “If that is what he said, so be it. That’s his opinion. But for me, I can’t make any comment on that.”