Rivers Crisis: What they want from me – Gov Fubara

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has urged the people of the state not to be frightened by the political crisis in the state, saying that his opponents will not get what they want from him.

Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is the FCT minister, have been engaged in a power tussle, a development that has battered the state Assembly, splitting the lawmakers into two factions.

President, Bola Tinubu, in order to end the feud between the two former allies, last month mediated in a meeting where a peace deal was signed.

But speaking in a short video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), Mr Fubara appealed to the people of the state not to be disheartened by the ongoing crisis, assuring the people that they are the winners.

“I want to urge every one of us here, don’t be frightened,” he said, dipping his hand into his breast pocket and pulling out a biro. Pointing it to the congregation, he added, “What they want is this red biro. It is still with me.”

The governor, in a sonorous voice, said, “They have failed,” eliciting an applause from the people who were listening to him.

“We are the winners because we are still signing with the red biro. As long as we are signing with the red biro, development will continue in Rivers State,” he added.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, Boniface Onyedi, the governor’s spokesperson said, Mr Fubara made the statement at the crossover Church Service at St Paul’s Archdeaconry Parish in Opobo Town on the New Year’s Eve in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Governor Fubara hails from the council area.

Despite the criticism that trailed the Abuja peace deal, Governor Fubara had in a Christmas broadcast to the people of the state promised to implement the deal, adding that it was not a “death sentence”

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At the crossover service, Mr Fubara expressed gratitude to Mr Tinubu for his intervention in the crisis.

“Like I keep saying, it takes a responsible man to be a father. He acted like a father. On our part, we will continue to give him all the necessary support because if he does not succeed in Rivers State, he will not succeed as a president.

“So, as a state, we will continue to give him every support. We are not pretenders. Our support is genuine, and it is to uplift his programmes. Our sacrifices are part of the support.”

Mr Fubara’s ally, Edison Ehie’s resigning his membership of the Rivers assembly, is part of the governor’s sacrifice for the peace deal.

Mr Ehie was the speaker of the four-member Rivers assembly.

The resignation will pave the way for Mr Wike-backed lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant after their defection to the APC to return to the assembly with their rights and privileges restored, as part of the peace deal.