Rivers house of commotion: Wike mocks Fubara as groups threaten pipeline attacks

AS the political crisis in Rivers State continues to fester, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has mocked the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, over recent developments in the state.

Wike, who boasted of his victory in the political battle between him and the governor, said, “You are down by two-zero,” referring to Fubara.

This was as a Niger Delta militant group issued a fresh threat to blow up pipelines over a recent Supreme Court judgment ordering the seizure of the state and local government allocations.

Recall that about six months into Fubara’s administration, a disagreement ensued between the governor and his predecessor which culminated in an attempt to impeach the governor.

The state House of Assembly was bombed, and the crisis factionalised the Assembly with the emergence of two Speakers, Martin Amaewhule, loyal to Wike; and Victor Oko-Jumbo, loyal to the governor.

Though Fubara survived the impeachment, the governor and the lawmakers have been enmeshed in a lingering crisis for over one year with him recognising the Oko-Jumbo-led House.

In the heat of the crisis, 27 lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress during one of its sittings, citing crisis in the party, though the matter was in court before the recent Supreme Court judgment which put paid to the issue recognising the pro-Wike lawmakers as the legitimate members.

The apex court also ordered the suspension of monthly allocations to the state and local governments.

Speaking on Saturday while addressing his supporters during a grand reception organised for him by Ijaw stakeholders from the Kalabari Kingdom on the platform of the NEW Associates on Saturday, Wike maintained that he would not stop the state Assembly from carrying out its functions.

He said, “There is still more to come,” predicting more woes for the governor following the recent Supreme Court judgment that asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop federal allocation to the state and its local governments, with the validation of the Martins Amaewhile-led House of Assembly.

Speaking further, Wike blamed the political crisis in the state on Fubara, who he accused of betraying those who worked for him to emerge as the governor.

“I was trying to avoid the crisis; I have always told him (Fubara) not to go through this route. They told him to seize the salary and allowances of Assembly members.

“For more than one year, these people had no income to pay their children’s school fees, to feed their families and he was jubilating. People were encouraging you that nothing will happen, but something has happened.

“I’m not going to stop the Assembly from performing their constitutional duties, the Assembly members should be allowed to perform their constitutional duties; people who love peace do not threaten other people. The more you threaten, the more the problem.

“Assembly people must do their work. Whatever they deem necessary and fit that is constitutional, they should do. I’m not going to stop anybody from carrying out his or her power, I will not do that.

“With all our efforts and our sweat, we cannot be pushed out. All of you suffered, and somebody cannot just come because they gave him power overnight and say we should get out.

“If you watch all those around the governor, they are people who are naturally ingrates. Nobody who is not an ingrate will associate with the governor with what is going on.

“Only those who believe that they do not appreciate and thank God for any good thing will associate with themselves,” he said.

Wike vowed to deliver the state to President Bola Tinubu in 2027, boasting that, “I have defeated them before and I will continue to defeat them. So, for me, I have made it clear that this state is supporting President Bola Tinubu.”

A militant group, Niger Delta Ground Fighters, issued a fresh threat to attack oil pipelines over the Supreme Court’s judgment ordering the seizure of the state’s allocation.

This comes barely a week after the Niger Delta Rescue Movement threatened to disrupt oil production if the Federal Government did not intervene in the political crisis affecting the state.

The militants accused Wike of fuelling the crisis, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

In a viral video seen on Saturday, the militants, armed with AK-47 rifles and other weapons, chanted solidarity songs and vowed to take drastic action if their demands were not met.

The leader of the group, who identified himself as ‘Commander No Good Advice,’ expressed frustration over what he described as Wike’s interference with the governance of Rivers State.

“We have been in the creek, but Sim (Governor Siminalayi Fubara) told us to come out and embrace peace. Now, some people don’t want that peace. If they don’t release our allocation, we will vandalise every pipeline in Rivers State. There will be no peace,” he said.

However, Wike dismissed the militants’ threats, insisting that such actions would fail.

Wike insisted that Niger Delta must embrace dialogue and intellectual engagement rather than threats of sabotage.

“Nobody should be associating anything evil with the Ijaw people. Ijaw people are not evil people. Every time something happens, the only thing you hear is, ‘You will blow up pipelines.’ No. Engage people intellectually, engage people diplomatically, and you will get to where you want to get to,” he said.

Wike maintained that threats and illegal actions would not change the political landscape in the state.

Instead, the FCT minister urged aggrieved parties to pursue their grievances through constitutional means.

He said, “The world that we are in today has passed the stage of issuing threats to anybody. I told you that the members of the Assembly will not lose their seats, have they lost their seats? I told you that the shenanigan they called a local government election will not stand. Is it there today?”

The FCT minister denied calling the Ijaw people the “minority of minorities”, saying what he meant was that Fubara emerged as the governor of the state “not because of the strength or power of Ijaw, but because we all agreed to work together.”

Kalabari women vandalise billboards

Earlier, some angry Ijaw women of Kalabari extraction vandalised giant billboards bearing the pictures of Wike.

The billboards were erected at the junction leading to Abalama.

Hundreds of women decked in black attire with white scarf had in the early hours of Saturday barricaded the road leading to Abalama with the intention of denying the Minister access to the community.

The protesters were armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Kalabari, take your stand now!’, ‘Wike, what do you want in Kalabari land?’

The protesters were later dispatched by security personnel that accompanied the FCT minister to the venue of the reception.

Meanwhile, a former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, has identified leadership failure and politics of ego as the two biggest factors responsible for the current political crisis rocking Rivers State.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH in Abuja, Sani urged the warring factions to embrace peace in the interest of Rivers people and the nation’s democracy.

He said, “What is happening in Rivers State is a clear testament to the leadership’s failure to follow the rule of law, which has yielded to a power play, spurred more by ego and self-serving.”

If the leaders in Rivers State are aware of their place in the order of things in that State, the situation would not degenerate into the current level.”

Taking a slightly different position is rights lawyer, Mike Kebonkwu, who told Sunday PUNCH that the governor’s position is now weakened by the judgment of the Supreme Court.

“It is sad that the Federal Government is looking the other way because of what it stands to gain in 2027. Bullying people like they are doing now is wrong. I expect Fubara to fight on until the very last,” he said.

On his part, public affairs analyst, Mr Nze Nze, called on President Tinubu to caution Wike, stressing that as a duly elected governor, Fubara should be allowed to execute the social contract he had with the Rivers people.

PANDEF berates Wike

In another development, the Pan Niger Delta Elders’ Forum has condemned the attacks by Wike, calling them divisive and harmful to the ongoing peace efforts in Rivers State.

The minister had publicly criticised the organisation in a media interview, claiming it was motivated by personal interests rather than its mission to promote stability and development in the South-South region.

Wike also referred to PANDEF as “the worst organisation for anyone to rely on.”

Earlier in the week, on March 11, a high-profile PANDEF delegation met with President Bola Tinubu, urging him to intervene in the worsening Rivers State standoff.

Reacting to this matter in a statement, PANDEF National Chairman, Godknows Igali, stated that the minister’s derogatory claim that PANDEF was “the worst organisation ever” was false.

Igali voiced concern about Wike’s insult to the integrity of the respected traditional rulers, statesmen, and business leaders who represented the region.

He said, “Even more appalling was his disrespectful reference to the late Chief Edwin Clark, a revered statesman whose legacy was recognised by the President himself.

“Furthermore, his attack on His Majesty, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, former military governor of Rivers State and PANDEF’s Board of Trustees Chairman, is an affront to the dignity of the South-South people.

“At a time when PANDEF is working tirelessly to foster peace and reconciliation in Rivers State, the Honourable Minister’s public outburst is both reckless and counterproductive.

“His refusal to engage with PANDEF’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which includes respected elder statesmen, further underscores his unwillingness to support a lasting resolution to the crisis in Rivers State.”

Igali urged President Tinubu to call on Wike to retract his statements, adding that he should engage constructively with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee.