Rivers Governor Fubara Tells Wike to Let Go, Calls for Peace Amid Tensions.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to relinquish control over the state and allow peace to prevail.
Fubara, speaking on a Channels TV programme on Monday, expressed his frustration over the escalating tensions in the oil-rich state, which have persisted despite his efforts to maintain peace.
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Fubara defended his decision to conduct the local government elections on Saturday, despite resistance from Wike’s supporters in both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I have all the guts to do these things,” Fubara declared, emphasising that he had no regrets about the election.
The governor revealed the extent of his efforts to appease Wike, including personal appeals.
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“There is nothing I have not done on this earth for peace to reign. I can tell you the number of times I have knelt to beg to allow this issue to go,” Fubara said. However, despite these efforts, tensions in the state have continued to rise.
When asked what message he would give Wike, Fubara responded, “I’ll tell him that it has gotten to a point where he needs to let go. We need peace in this state. You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights; at times, you just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers State.”
Fubara stressed that the election period was over, and it was time for governance. He called on Wike and all political actors to set aside their differences for the good of the state. “We need to secure the state,” he said. “Even to the minister, my oga, there is no need to destroy this state.”
He added that the state had been an “envy of every other state” during Wike’s tenure, and urged him to support the current administration for the remaining term. “After four years or eight years, who knows? I will also leave, and someone else will take over. That should be the spirit.”
Fubara also addressed the recent arson attacks on local government secretariats in Rivers State, distancing himself from the violence. He reiterated his call for peace and governance, noting that political disputes should not disrupt the lives of the state’s residents.
The governor revealed that he had warned of potential unrest when he swore in the 23 newly elected local government chairpersons on Sunday, citing aggrieved political actors as those attempting to destabilise the state. Despite this, he urged all parties to focus on rebuilding and governing the state in peace.