President Bola Tinubu’s directive to Niger Delta leaders regarding the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has caused deep divisions among South-South leaders. The President, during a meeting with the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Abuja, instructed them to return home and advise Governor Siminalayi Fubara to embrace peace and follow the Supreme Court’s judgment. However, this directive has drawn mixed reactions, with many questioning the President’s neutrality in the matter.
The delegation that met with the President was led by King Alfred Diete-Spiff, former governor of old Rivers State, and Obong Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom State. Ambassador Godknows Igali, PANDEF’s national chairman, was also present. PANDEF, the leading socio-political group representing the Niger Delta, had sought Tinubu’s intervention to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
Some South-South leaders have accused the President of taking sides with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against Governor Fubara. The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, stated that Tinubu’s approach only emboldened Wike, which, according to him, led to further humiliation of Fubara by the 27 Rivers lawmakers opposing him.
“What he simply did was to embolden Wike and that manifested in the media chat the FCT minister had the next day. The same day, Governor Sim Fubara was humiliated by the 27 House of Assembly members,” Okaba said.
He further noted that the crisis should be resolved through fair dialogue and warned that the Ijaw people would not accept any move to undermine Fubara’s tenure.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, said Tinubu’s advice was unnecessary because Fubara had no choice but to follow the Supreme Court ruling. However, he questioned why the President failed to address the actions of Wike and the lawmakers blocking Fubara’s budget presentation.
“Everybody saw that the governor went to present the budget, and the lawmakers did not allow him to enter the assembly complex. The governor has a card he can play; it is for him to manage this situation well,” Nwoko noted.
Some stakeholders have expressed skepticism about PANDEF’s ability to mediate in the crisis. Niger Delta activist Zik Gbemre argued that PANDEF, being Ijaw-dominated, would not be trusted by Wike’s camp. He also accused the President of not being sincere in his intervention, suggesting that Tinubu might be backing Wike in the power struggle.
Similarly, development consultant Furoebi Akene claimed that Tinubu’s statement about having confidence in the judiciary was a trap, given the controversial rulings from the courts regarding political defections.
While some leaders supported Tinubu’s directive, others insisted that the President must do more to ensure a lasting resolution. The Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization in Bayelsa State, Comrade David West, suggested that Tinubu should directly invite both Fubara and the 27 lawmakers to Aso Rock, just as he did in Lagos, and instruct them to work together.
“If Mr. President intervenes in that way and tells the lawmakers and the governor to work together for the benefit of the people of Rivers State, they will listen,” West stated.
He also called on the President to rein in Wike, accusing him of fueling the crisis with an alleged plan to impeach Fubara.
