The declaration by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, that he won’t allow his political structure in Rivers State to collapse, as well as Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s vehemence in the defence of his seat amidst impeachment moves best explain the degree of tension and desperation pervading the political space in the State.

The open face-off between one-time godfather and godson has already given way to machinations, conspiracies, plotting and counter-plotting by forces loyal to both.

The situation has degenerated to a serious warfare as Wike on one hand battles to retain his political empire and Fubara, on the other hand, struggles to keep his mandate.

Last minute efforts including intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as governors elected on its platform are not yielding desired results in the imbroglio that now holds sway and is fast polluting the political environment in the oil rich state. In the emerging scenario, political loyalists, jobbers and associates are beating drums of war.

Wike revealed the real issues at stake during one of the meetings with the governors elected on the platform of the PDP, led by the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed in the FCT Administration headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

In very frank tone, Wike said he would not succumb to intimidation from anybody, especially on the political crisis in his state.

“Nobody can intimidate me. If I want to do something, I will do it. Impeachment is not a military coup; it is provided for under the Constitution. I’m not interested in all the rumours, money, this, and that. Rubbish! Absolute rubbish! I just left the office, how many months ago? And I’m FCT Minister, so which money?

“But nobody can take away our political structure. No one! You cannot work and people will begin to bring enemies…those who fought you when you were struggling for the person to be in office. Nobody does that. I’m not a political ingrate, but don’t touch the political structure of the state. I will not shut my eyes,” Wike said.

Analysts have traced the crisis to issues of collapsing trust, infidelity in keeping agreement and promises, alleged overbearing attitude, and desperation for unripe political independence.

Signs of tension in the state first emerged when parts of the State Assembly complex were set ablaze over issues relating to efforts to impeach Governor Fubara, who later expressed disgust about the move and vowed to fight and resist it.

Disclosing his readiness to protect his mandate, Fubara told protesting youths earlier in the week in Port Harcourt that no unjustified impeachment will be accepted.

He asked citizens of the state to interrogate the reasons behind the impeachment process allegedly initiated by some lawmakers on Monday morning.

The governor, who urged the people to inquire into the motives of such a move, claimed that while he visited the burnt site of the Assembly complex on Monday morning, he was shot at.

He said he was unperturbed by the move to impeach him by the lawmakers if they eventually succeed, saying he would not be the first or last sitting governor that would be impeached.

He, however, warned that any attempt to impeach him unjustly will be resisted, emphasising that those behind his impeachment should tell Rivers people his offence.

“What is important is any attempt that is not justified will be resisted. Let them come out and tell Rivers People that offence that I have committed that warrants impeachment. But my happiness this morning is that the people of Rivers State, represented by every one of you here, are with us. I can go home and sleep,” he said.

Fubara assured the people that his government will continue to defend and protect them, and that they will enjoy the dividends of democracy.

But many stakeholders have tried to provide clarification on what actually caused the crisis as well as factors making it difficult to be resolved.

Some elders rose from a meeting in Abuja and called on Fubara to prevail on his loyalists to sheathe their swords.

They believed that the use of mischief and propaganda will only make things worse if not reversed.

While urging Fubara to take immediate steps to correct the false narratives against the minister in order to give room for reconciliation, the elders, whose position was declared by Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, cautioned Fubara’s “new found friends” to retrace their steps before throwing the state into avoidable chaos.

The leaders were frank in submitting that those encouraging Fubara to engage in a needless and fruitless battle with Wike should desist forthwith and allow the Governor concentrate on consolidating on the extraordinary achievements of Wike while he was governor.

“Our pact with Rivers people is unbroken. They gave us mandate in the last election on the back of our achievements under Wike and trust that the candidate from our political family will continue these good works.

“We caution the new friends of Governor Sim Fubara to retrace their steps before they throw the state into deeper crisis. We stand with Wike and Rivers State,” they added.

According to them, Wike remained the undisputed leader that produced the governor, all assembly members, all 23 Local Council chairmen and the entire councillors of the Councils.

Alabraba said: “We have followed with discomfort, the recent events in our state that have culminated in the desecration and arson on the hallowed chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly; the removal of the leader of the Assembly, Edisson Ehie, his suspension along with three others, the counter actions of Ehie and his group, with his claim of the impeachment of the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule; the suspension of some members loyal to the Speaker Amaewhule with the elevation of Ehie to the position of Speaker.

“We have also followed the public appearance and speech of the Governor of Rivers State at Government House and at the State Assembly complex and his encounter with the Police. We are aware of the various allegations that these unfortunate events are linked to the former Governor of the State and Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.”

They also condemned insinuations of ethnicity, adding that it is not helpful. “We have listened to the various insinuations of ethnic undertone, specifically that Governor Fubara is Ijaw and is marked for impeachment to pave way for continuation of Ikwerre Governorship.

“We met with our Governor, Siminilaye Fubara and the Minister, Nyesom Wike and resolved that Wike is the undisputed leader of the political family that produced Governor Sim Fubara, the three Senators, eleven Members of the House of Representatives, all thirty-two members of the State Assembly, all twenty-three local council chairmen and the entire councilors of the 23 LGAs in Rivers State,” Alabraba noted.

According to him, Fubara and all the above elected office-holders in Rivers State belong to the same political family and are “bound by our philosophy to transform, build, develop, and create the Rivers State of our dreams in consonance with our New Rivers Vision devoid of ethnicity, tribe, creed or gender.”

The elders disclosed that they were aware that there was a pre-existing problem between Ehie, the then majority leader of the House of Assembly and his colleagues, which culminated in his removal; and that to forestall Ehie’s impending removal, the chambers of the Assembly was burnt and Governor Fubara believed that Ehie’s removal was a precursor to his impeachment.

“The misrepresentation of the internal wranglings among the members prompted the Governor’s immediate intervention, making him characterise a purely legislative broil as an existential threat. This caused the Governor and his newly assembled supporters to give the actions of the assembly members an ethnic colouration and prompted youths of Ijaw extraction to rally behind the Governor in the name of Ijaw nationalism,” Alabraba said. (The Guardian)

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