Former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has alleged that some Nigerian politicians are exploiting the ongoing political situation in Rivers State to fraudulently collect money in his name from Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Wike described as a grave mistake the recent disclosure by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, that over ₦600 billion was available in the state’s coffers, saying the revelation has triggered widespread abuse and false claims by political actors.

According to Wike, the disclosure has emboldened individuals to approach government officials under various pretences, falsely claiming endorsements, committee memberships, or presidential approval in order to collect money.

“Now everybody is using my name to collect from someone,” Wike said. “They put people on the front pages of newspapers and say, ‘They adopted so-and-so person, they collected.’ ‘He is in this committee, they collected.’ ‘The President is happy with you, they collected.’ Even ‘Wike didn’t see the President, they collected.’”

The former governor warned that such actions were damaging to governance and accountability, stressing that reckless public statements about state finances only fuel corruption and misinformation.

Wike urged political actors to act responsibly and cautioned against exploiting political tensions for personal gain, noting that governance should be driven by transparency, integrity, and the public interest.