Rivers crisis: Wike breaks silence, opens up on Gov Fubara, others

The former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has broken his silence on the recent political turmoil in Rivers State. Wike, who handed over the reins of power to his protege and the incumbent Governor, Sim Fubara, spoke to the press on Tuesday following a meeting of governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja.

During his statement, Wike emphasized that the primary opposition party, the PDP, has assumed control of the situation, dispelling speculations that the crisis has any ethnic dimension. Recent claims on social media hinted at an ethnic element in the ongoing situation, framing it as a clash between the Ijaw and Ikwere communities.

The tumultuous events began with reports that the Rivers State House of Assembly made an attempt to impeach Governor Sim Fubara between Sunday night and Monday morning. In response to the crisis, the PDP’s National Working Committee, along with several governors elected on the party’s platform, including Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Ademola Adeleke (Osun), convened in Abuja earlier on Tuesday.

Wike acknowledged the internal disputes within the party, stating, “In politics, there are a lot of internal wranglings, but you’re not going to say that because there are lots of internal wrangling, they’re not going to settle among themselves.” He clarified that the party is actively addressing the situation, asserting that it is not related to ethnicity. Wike emphasized that political parties have their mechanisms for resolving internal issues and expressed confidence that the PDP would manage and resolve the ongoing crisis.

Wike concluded his remarks by saying, “Our party is looking into it. That’s what I’ll say. Every politician has his own interests.”