Opunabo Inko-Tariah spent years in Rivers State politics as a trusted aide to Nyesom Wike. Now based in Port Harcourt, he's a civil rights advocate watching 2027 unfold closely.
He worked as special adviser on information when Wike governed the state. Today, Wike serves as minister of the Federal Capital Territory in President Bola Tinubu's cabinet.
Inko-Tariah recently sat down to discuss what's ahead for Rivers State. The political landscape has grown tense as 2027 approaches, he told our correspondent in Port Harcourt.
President Tinubu recently declared that governors lead their parties in their states. Any lawmaker seeking re-election must approach the governor first, he instructed.
Reports suggest Wike has settled on George Kelly as his preferred successor. But what does this mean for incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara?
Inko-Tariah believes the president's directive is proper and overdue. Before democracy returned in 1999, party chairmen controlled party affairs, he noted.
The relationship between Wike and Fubara remains strained at best. Wike has vowed publicly to block Fubara's second-term ambitions come 2027.
He'll use every tool available to stop the governor's return, Inko-Tariah predicted. Yet in a truly free and fair contest, Fubara would prevail.
"He will win Wike," Inko-Tariah said flatly. Media campaigns and hype won't change the outcome, he stressed.
Wike isn't popular in Rivers, according to this assessment. The minister governed like a dictator, Inko-Tariah argued, despite construction projects everywhere.
Even in Abuja, complaints about his leadership style persist. Officials praise his infrastructure work, but the methods concern many.
Inko-Tariah called this "ego altruism"—development driven by personal profit. Construction contracts line pockets while real human development suffers, he contended.
For eight years under Wike, civil servants received no promotions or raises. No Christmas bonuses.
No benefits at all, Inko-Tariah said.
Meanwhile, bridge after bridge rose across the landscape. The money flows upward, he suggested, not toward ordinary people.
Building infrastructure became the quickest path to drain state coffers. That's the real calculation, Inko-Tariah believed.
So back to the central question: will Fubara actually contest in 2027? His supporters already purchased nomination forms for him.
Yet the governor hasn't shown obvious enthusiasm publicly. His body language seems distant from campaign mode so far.
Inko-Tariah has no doubt though. Fubara will definitely run, he insisted firmly.
The governor hasn't rejected the forms presented to him. He could have refused them outright and made a public statement.
"Silence means consent," Inko-Tariah said. Fubara's inaction speaks volumes about his real intentions.
The governor hasn't declared he won't contest, he pointed out. That deliberate silence reveals his actual plan.
Violence remains a serious concern as the election season approaches. Many fear Rivers could experience ugly confrontations during campaigns.
Inko-Tariah acknowledged these dangers without dismissing them. The political temperature in the state continues rising dangerously.
Multiple powerful interests are now at play in Rivers politics. What unfolds in the next months could reshape the entire state.
