Monday May 12, 2025 |
Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, has indicated he is no longer invested in reclaiming his seat, as the fallout from Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in the oil rich state drags on.
Speaking in Port Harcourt on Sunday, May 11, during a service of songs for the late statesman Chief Edwin Clark, Fubara responded to public appeals from speakers who still addressed him as “Governor” and urged his return. “Can’t you see how better I look? Do you think I’m interested in going back there?” he asked. “My spirit has already left that place long ago,” Fubara added, signaling his detachment from the political turmoil that has gripped the state.
The event, convened by the Rivers Elders Forum, turned into a political rallying point as several figures criticised Tinubu’s intervention in the state’s affairs. However, Fubara himself urged restraint, noting that not all comments were constructive. “Not everything is by ‘oshogbe’,” he cautioned, invoking a local expression that discourages unnecessary confrontation.
He also admitted that while some of his supporters meant well, their actions may have worsened his situation. The power tussle in Rivers intensified after Fubara fell out with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Although Tinubu brokered a truce between the two men in December 2024, the agreement quickly fell apart.
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu imposed a state of emergency in Rivers, claiming governance had collapsed. He suspended Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all lawmakers in the state assembly. In a sweeping move, Tinubu installed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the sole administrator, dissolving all elected institutions and placing the state directly under federal control.
The federal takeover sparked condemnation nationwide. Eleven governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging the legality of Tinubu’s actions, arguing that removing elected officials undermines Nigeria’s democracy.
However, the National Assembly has pushed back, asking the apex court to throw out the case, claiming it lacks merit. Lawmakers further demanded N1 billion in costs from the PDP governors, dismissing their suit as frivolous and speculative.
Fubara’s comments at Sunday’s event have thrown fresh uncertainty into an already volatile situation. His remarks raise questions about whether he plans to fight for reinstatement or step away from the governorship entirely as Tinubu’s emergency rule persists.
