Advises Tinubu to keep an eye on WikeBy Ignatius Chukwu & Onyeche Igwe
As realignments continue in Rivers State political firmament, the Atiku Abubakar camp in the fractured Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun mobilizing for massive support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the state governor who ought to hate Atiku, Sir Sim Fubara.
This could only be because the former governor and godfather who hoisted Fubara on the party, Nyesom Wike, now FCT Minister in an All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government, has pushed his godson (Fubara) away and sent the hyenas after him. Lawmakers loyal to the godfather attempted to impeach the governor, an action that has thrown the state into factions and realignments.
Now, as Wike loyalists move in droves to the APC (without Wike officially defecting), those opposed to Wike in both the PDP and APC seem to drift to the opposite direction. In doing so, they all (both those for and against Wike) pledge loyalty to President Tinubu just as Wike does. This may have made it difficult to Tinubu to pick who to trust and lean on in dealing with Rivers State.
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The camp of Gov Sim Fubara thus gained a big boost Thursday, March 28, 2024, when kingpins of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation announced support in the current struggles against his godfather, Chief Wike.
The group led the rest of the party members that did not join the APC to endorse Sir Fubara. The group is led by former Wike strong men such as Dr (Sen) Abiye Sekiobo from Okrika and Sen Lee Maeba from Ogoni.
At a crowded press conference after a meeting of the faction, the former senator and secretary to the Rivers State government, Sekibo since the elections and litigations were long gone, the group and all camps should support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gov Fubara for the sake of good governance.
Dr Sekibo said: “As indigenes of Rivers State, we have no choice but to give our dear Governor our total loyalty and support for the progress of our State. In that same vein, we urge our Governor and Mr President to work together for the good of Rivers people.
The group drew the attention of President Tinubu to Wike’s public utterances and alleged threats to cause instability in Rivers State stated thus: “We strongly advise Mr President to keep a close watch on the FCT Administration. The President has a duty to call him to order. We the Rivers people will not stand by while an individual decides that we will not sleep with our two eyes closed. If Wike troubles Rivers people, he shall surely inherit the wind.”
Rising from a meeting, the group said: “Today, we are sad because in the last few months, the peace of our state has been disturbed by the foolish actions of one selfish man who believes that more than seven million Rivers people are his slaves for electing him as their Governor for eight years. Our people are not a conquered lot and would never subscribe to the mentality of conquest. We also refuse to be divided along tribal or ethnic lines.
“Unfortunately, he has consistently abused the privilege that God bestowed upon him through the votes of the people, by committing crimes against the interest of the State.
“Lately, he has resorted to insulting our revered leader and former governor, Dr Peter Odili, and his wife, Justice Mary Peter-Odili, because they refused to support him in his failed attempt to impeach the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara.”
The group said they were not against the president compensating Wike with post of Minister but that they wished to advise him on the character and machinations of his appointee. “We wish to let the President know that this appointee ran a kleptocratic government when he reigned supreme as Governor of Rivers State, and may do same in the Federal Capital Territory, if the President looks the other way.”
They assured the president that a vast majority of Rivers people were solidly with Gov Fubara, and so, would not allow an illegal and unconstitutional assembly of any sort, impeach him or disrupt the smooth governance of our dear state and cause a breach of the public peace.
“Rivers State is too economically strategic for the nation to be toyed with especially at a time when our Nation is looking to maximize her oil production to meet her OPEC quota.
“Finally, we call on all Nigerians irrespective of party, tribal or ethnic affiliations to rally round the President Tinubu administration, so that working together, we will collectively overcome these hard economic and security challenges facing us all.”
Loyalty has become fragile as many people have been exposed in the face of factions and betrayals. The Atiku group seems to be at pains to support and mobilise for President Tinubu when their leader (Atiku) is boxing Tinubu. But joining to hit Tinubu would attract hostility from the presidency to hurt their local hero, the governor.
It thus has not been easy for any group trying to support Fubara in trying to swallow the pin by also supporting Tinubu.
