Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that no king rules forever and that his own victory will eventually return. Speaking during a gathering in Bonny, Fubara told supporters that despite his current situation, he remains confident and unshaken.
Since his suspension earlier in March, Fubara has continued to maintain a calm public image. While addressing the crowd, he said his conscience is clear and that his actions as governor can be defended even years from now.
“Everybody will not appreciate your style but when you know that what you are doing is right, you are sure that in 25 to 30 years, if placed in any box and you are asked a question, you can defend your action, that’s what makes you a man,” he said.
Fubara also noted that power is never permanent, and what matters most is what a leader leaves behind. “No king lives forever, that’s the truth and no authority lasts forever, but what is important is that within the period that you are in power or when you reigned, I wished you did wonderful things that would speak forever,” he said.
His suspension came after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, following a serious political crisis. The crisis involved a fallout between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the meantime, the president appointed retired naval officer Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator to manage the state for six months.
Fubara, however, insists he has lost nothing. “Some people accused me about a lot of things but the truth about it is that I can’t be what I’m not or who I am,” he told his supporters. “And for our people, just be strong – at times, you need to lose to win – for me and anybody who believes in me, I have never considered myself losing anything. It’s when you attach life to things that it bothers you.”
Since his removal from office, Fubara has met with both President Tinubu and Minister Wike twice in an attempt to resolve the dispute, though no final decision has been made public.
Still, the governor believes that standing on truth will eventually lead to victory. “I know that at the end of the day, our winning will come to us because we are standing on a solid rock,” he said.
