The political tug-of-war in Rivers State continues to attract divergent opinions as stakeholders from the South-South react to President Bola Tinubu’s recent intervention aimed at halting the impeachment threat against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
While some hailed the President’s efforts to restore calm in the oil-rich state, others questioned the constitutionality and fairness of his move, especially amid growing concerns over the political dominance of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The convener of the South-South Reawakening Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Community Committee of Oil and Gas Producing Areas of the Niger Delta States, Joseph Ambakaderimo, in an interview with Vanguard, praised Tinubu as “a smart politician who knows what he wants and goes all out for it.”
Applauding the President’s attempt to shield Fubara from another round of impeachment, Ambakaderimo warned that Tinubu must “be very careful about those pushing him against the FCT Minister, Wike.”
“Wike is to Tinubu what the late Tony Anenih was to former President Obasanjo,” he said.
Ambakaderimo further claimed that Governor Fubara lacks the political weight to deliver the kind of electoral results Wike secured for the APC during the 2023 general elections.
He said, “It is only Wike and Fubara who can settle their problems, not the President, not anybody else. I believe the position the President has taken is for the overall good of Rivers State and its people.”
‘Tinubu’s Action Is Not Presidential’ — Omenazu
In sharp contrast, the Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, Dr Jackson Omenazu, faulted President Tinubu’s handling of the crisis, describing it as lacking presidential finesse.
He warned that Tinubu’s political style should be reviewed for proper understanding.
“If we go by the manifesto of the APC, there is no position for two leaders in the same state. Why can’t Fubara be the political leader of Rivers State? Is this what happens in other APC-controlled states?” Omenazu queried.
He criticised the President for failing to uphold fairness and equity, saying, “Governor Fubara is highly subjugated.”
“Tinubu’s action is not presidential enough. He was a governor before. Wike was also a governor. Were they treated the way they are treating Fubara today?” he asked.
Omenazu stressed that only the national chairman of the APC has the constitutional backing to declare a state’s political leader, not the President.
