Rivers Political Crisis: Tinubu’s directive splits South-south leaders
Opinions have been divided in the South-South geopolitical zone since Tuesday when President Bola Tinubu commanded the leaders of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), who visited him in Abuja, to return and tell the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to tow the path of peace in the political crisis between him and the Federal Capital Minister, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The former military governor of the old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, and the ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, who are the co-chairmen of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of PANDEF, led the group’s delegation to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The national chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, attended.
PANDEF is the umbrella body of the traditional rulers, leaders, and stakeholders of the coastal states of the Niger Delta, convened by the former Federal Commissioner for Information, Senator Edwin Clark, who was its National Leader until his demise last month.
President Tinubu directed the leaders, who deferentially requested his fresh intervention before the feud snowballed into a full-blown crisis, to return home and advise Fubara to obey the Supreme Court’s judgment. He added that he told the governor, who visited him earlier on Monday, to tow the path of peace. The President had said at the meeting: “This is a nation governed by the rule of law. I should not be here as president without the rule of law. I have total confidence in our judiciary.
We have expectations. Human beings can make errors. But once the court has spoken, that is it. Human beings can make errors. But once the court has spoken, that is it. Please go back home and help implement the court rulings within the shortest possible time. I am putting the ball in your court. Help, privately and openly intervene, and counsel the governor. Pursue the path of peace and stability.”
Apparently, because of the president’s disposition, Fubara returned to the state and initiated a failed bid to represent the 2025 Budget to the House of Assembly. Still, a seeming communication gap, grand standing and ego problem between him and the lawmakers stalled his Wednesday move.
Fubara has employed some strategies to execute the president’s directive without bruising himself more, as he awaits the South-South leaders, whom President Tinubu has given his imprimatur to further mediate between him and Wike to ensure an amicable settlement of the political crisis.
However, Tinubu’s deportment on the matter in full glare when he played host to Niger-Delta leaders has caused a stir in the oil-rich region.
Tinubu has taken side with Wike — Prof. Okaba, INC president
The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, who fumed at the President’s demeanor said members of PANDEF who went to Abuja “felt so ashamed of themselves the way Tinubu addressed them.” He said by the President’s “un-presidential statement,” he showed no commitment for peace in Rivers State.
His words: “What he simply did was to embolden Wike and that manifested in the media chat the FCT minister had the next day. The same day, Governor Sim Fubara was humiliated by the 27 House of Assembly members. We acknowledge President Bola Tinubu’s call for Niger Delta leaders to take charge of resolving the crisis in Rivers State. We only wonder if this call is a genuine intention to resolve the matter or a desire to allow Wike to hound Governor Fubara in the most undemocratic manner he has done since 2023.
“As the foremost socio-cultural organization representing the Ijaw people, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) remains deeply concerned about the ongoing political tension between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister, Nyesom Wike, as the actions of the latter fall grossly below expectations as a man that has enjoyed the overwhelming support through his eight-year tenure as governor.
“If anybody is unhappy with the governor for any reason, he should work toward and wait for 2027 to support another candidate. And Mr. President must realize that how he treats the Ijaw of Rivers State regarding this matter will determine the reactions of Ijaw now and in 2027. While we appreciate Mr. President’s previous intervention efforts and his confidence in the judiciary, we must emphasize that his directives handed over the mantle of government to the FCT minister. And we are sure that the President will never accept such conditions from his predecessor if faced with what is happening in Rivers State.
“Sustainable peace in the Niger Delta or Rivers State requires genuine commitment from all parties, including Mr. President. The INC has consistently advocated for dialogue, justice, equity, and fairness in governance, and to be fair, Wike and his Ikwerre kinsmen have had 16 years of undisturbed rule. Mr. President must know that the Ijaw nation is not and will never accept any move to truncate Fubara’s legitimate tenure in office. We insist that the President must call the FCT minister to order. Otherwise, he should choose between Wike and the entire Ijaw nation. The INC, therefore, reiterates that President Tinubu should instruct his minister to cease fire and allow the governor to run the state in peace, even as we have seen him make visible efforts at implementing the Supreme Court judgment.
“We recall that Gov. Fubara was already implementing the President’s directives when Wike and his co-travelers obstructed the process by not withdrawing their court cases following the governor’s withdrawals”.
He said that Tinubu openly supported Wike against Fubara, adding, “He has idolized Wike, which is why he is ready to do anything to appease his minister while Rivers State or the entire Nigeria boils. The president’s disposition does not align with that of Rivers people or Nigerians. How many court judgments has the president obeyed? He selects what he wants and leaves the rest.
Why did he order the delegation to prevail on Fubara to implement the Supreme Court ruling and keep quiet over Wike’s antics? Under Tinubu as President, the institutions of democracy in Nigeria are getting weaker while individuals are getting richer. That is why people like Wike can brazenly insult a whole ethnic nationality without a word of caution from the president”.
The INC president alleged that Wike has no respect for PANDEF, wondering, “How then will it be possible for the group to make peace? The question now is, if PANDEF calls Wike for peace, will he appear? I doubt it”. The Ijaw leader, who stated that the PANDEF delegation to Abuja was “a mistake,” asserted that, “The President has made up his mind to support Wike because the man is doing all the damage work for him. This is sad for all of us as a people. We will continue to support Sim, but to beg anybody for peace in the state, that, we will not do. My advice to those causing the crisis in the state is to allow Fubara to perform his job as Governor of Rivers State”.
President’s advice is uncalled-for — Nwoko, SAN, ex-Akwa-Ibom A.G
A former attorney-general of Akwa Ibom State and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Uwemedimo Nwoko, said, “For me, the advice that Fubara should implement the Supreme Court judgment is unnecessary because Fubara does not have a choice. But for the president to advise so, he is talking as a father of the country, as somebody who wants to show that he is interested in respect for the rule of law; he is showing that he is interested in having peace in that state. However, to be fair to Fubara, he has not said he will not obey the Supreme Court judgment. What choice does he have? So he does not even need that advice.” On the Wednesday incident in Rivers State, where Fubara went to represent the 2025 budget but could not access the state House of Assembly, Nwoko noted, “I do not see that as being negative at all because it happened in the full glare of the whole world. Everybody saw that the governor went to present the budget, and the lawmakers did not allow him to enter the assembly complex. The governor has a card he can play; it is for him to manage this situation well. He has been casual about what he is doing. And his advisers need to put on their thinking cap.”
Public interests subordinated to personal concerns —Ekpenyong, former A’Ibom deputy governor
The former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Chris Ekpenyong, said there was nothing wrong with the president’s directives. He however said “my concern is on the recent court pronouncement on defection from one party to another. I never would have guessed that the Supreme Court would make this decision, abandoning their earlier ruling that you would lose your seat if you switched parties. How can the lawmakers give the governor of Rivers State only 48 hours to present a budget? Nowadays, private interests are prioritized over those of the public.
The Supreme Court ignored the fact that these lawmakers had switched from the PDP to the APC. Why?” Senator Ekpenyong urged Wike to stop opposing his successor, saying, “It is painful to see this kind of politics being played out at the expense of the poor. I do not know if he wants to destroy the PDP that we started in 1998, a platform he used to become the governor of Rivers State.”
A wrong arbiter, PANDEF compromised —activist Gbemre
In his own reaction, Zik Gbemre, coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, said, “The dispute would only get worse under a PANDEF mediation. It is the wrong choice of mediator over the situation in Rivers, and the reason is not far-fetched. PANDEF is too Ijaw- dominated, and the Wike camp would not give much listening ear to a truce mediated by the group. Ijaw, including the late PANDEF leader, Chief Clark, have been compromised from the beginning, taking side with Fubara and threatening war.
“Wike’s camp will not trust an Ijaw-controlled PANDEF to conduct a transparent mediation because Ijaw has turned the crisis into an Ijaw/Ikwerre war. If PANDEF is required to mediate, then Ijaw and Ikwerre within the fold must not be included on the truce committee. It is no longer a battle for the rule of law; instead, it is a struggle for the survival of the most powerful and influential people. But then, even President Tinubu is not sincere in his intervention. He has a hand in the antagonism against Fubara.”
Fubara defending the Rivers people — King Dakolo, Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council chair
The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, said: “It is a good thing that the leaders of the Niger Delta went to the president, and among the things they discussed was the impasse in Rivers State, and he was clear that the leaders should be leaders. So, if there is a crisis in your home, it is your responsibility as a leader to resolve it. The courts are always there to adjudicate on matters but they have become notorious because people think they are out for sale. However, there is a judgment and we must follow the judgment.
So, there has to be a way forward. We must know that what is happening is because Sim Fubara has the people of Rivers at heart. If he were a deal man, he would have made a deal to the detriment of Rivers’ people. It is because he said he would not want to go into this type of deal but serve the people, and the people’s resources would be used for the people, which is why we are having this impasse. However, the legislators represent different constituencies, so, the elders or leaders of the Niger Delta and the people of Rivers state particularly, have a duty to caution and advise whoever they elected as legislators to represent them. .”
Gov should do more of strategic endorsement, watch his words — Ambakederimo, S-South leader
The Convener of the South-South Reawakening Group, Joseph Ambakederimo, said: “We enjoin our people to at all time tow the path of dialogue and due process in resolving political misunderstanding. We are sounding this warning more especially when the governor has pledged to abide by the Supreme Court judgment and implement the same to the letter.
The governor’s position is the right thing to do. The governor should be circumspect about his choice of words; he should do more of a strategic engagement rather than going further into a sleepy slope. The well-being of the Rivers people should be paramount at this time and not engage with misdirected trouble mongers. As we ponder the way forward in resolving this present challenge, there is likelihood of breaking a middle ground which we believe all parties should embrace for the sake of the people of Rivers State. Common sense should prevail and the rule of law must be sustained.”
President ambushing PANDEF leaders – Akene, development consultant
A development consultant, Furoebi Akene, asserted: “For the president to say he has confidence in the judiciary simply means he is setting ambush for them. We have never seen where a former governor will turn himself into an emperor to lord over an incumbent.
From all the judgments the various courts are giving, it is clear that the law and the constitution do not matter again for a five-man panel of the Supreme Court to overturn a judgment given by a seven-man panel of the same Supreme Court on the same matter some years ago, and the president says he is confident in the judiciary. There is nothing wrong with going on a peace mission, but they should be careful not to damage their reputation. If there is any integrity left in the judiciary, it is lower than the integrity of prostitutes.”
The win-win situation – Morris, ex-CLO chair, Bayelsa
The former chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation in Bayelsa State, Alagoa Morris, said: “if what we are experiencing in Nigeria is what democracy is, I dislike this brand of democracy. I am not a professional politician, but philosophers said human beings are political organisms. I am a political being and I know the functions of the three organs or arms of government. Ordinarily, the rule of law would have been the first and last resort if there were no undue influence on the judiciary. Regretfully, it appears that the judiciary contributes to the issues that Nigerian society is facing. The only scenario that would present a no-victor, no-vanquish scenario—which is best for Rivers State—is for Fubara to continue serving as governor for four years while the lawmakers continue to hold their elected positions as lawmakers. But at this point, those whom the judgment favors would want to act like kings holding the sword, and it will be difficult to get a middle ground settlement as Shylock would demand his pound of flesh.”
Tinubu said nothing wrong — Adima, a political activist
A political activist from Delta State, Mr. Blessing Adima, said, “The leaders should not speak to the governor alone; they should also speak to the 27 House of Assembly members because we are searching for a political resolution. They should appeal to them to reason with the governor and agree that, as brothers, they should not set their house on fire. Then, they should call all the parties to resolve the issue because, as it is today, it is a political solution that we need.”
The chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization in Bayelsa State, Comrade David West, said, “I think Mr President’s directive is in the right direction. However, in my thinking, Mr President should not just give a directive but should specifically invite the Martins Ahamefule- led 27 lawmakers who are today the legitimate lawmakers and Governor Fubara to Aso Rock Villa and give them an order to go and work together the same way he did to the Lagos State House of Assembly members, and Speaker Obasa.
He should resolve the issues and tell the lawmakers to allow the governor to complete his tenure and forget about the plot to impeach the governor. If Mr President intervenes in that way and tells the lawmakers and the governor to work together for the benefit of the people of Rivers State, they will listen.
But Mr President is only saying let the stakeholders go and resolve the crisis in Rivers State, so, who will listen to the stakeholders? Will the FCT minister or the Speaker listen to the stakeholders, when they already have an ambition to impeach the governor? Mr President should also call the Minister of FCT to order in order to allow peace to reign because Wike is bent on seeing that the governor is impeached, which will not be too good for us.
Fubara should complete his four-year tenure for the sake of governance and development of Rivers State. Mr President should assist us to ensure that this issue is resolved once and for all.”
