Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has asked his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to let go of his quest to control the state’s political affairs.
In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Fubara said Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), must understand that he cannot win all fights.
The governor said Wike must give up the fight because of his love for Rivers, adding that there is no need to burn down the state.
“I will tell him (Wike) that there is going to be a point that he needs to let go,” Fubara said.
“We need peace in this state. You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights at all times. You just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers state and the love he (Wike) has always professes for the state.
“We don’t need to burn down the state. Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who is going to come next?
‘APP WAS ADOPTED TO COMPLY WITH SUPREME COURT RULING ON LGA AUTONOMY’
The governor said the adoption of Action Peoples Party (APP) for the last election by his loyalists was not a matter of political structure but a move to meet the deadline for the implementation of supreme court’s ruling on LGA autonomy.
He noted that said there was no way his candidates would have contested the election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to the “drama” in the party.
“After the ruling of the supreme court (on LGA autonomy), we (governors) had an understanding with Mr. President and he gave us a window of 90 days to comply,” he said.
“The 90-day deadline expires on October 31. I needed to do something. There is no way that election would have been conducted in my party considering the drama surrounding my party.
“So, I opted for something safer to secure the civil servants that are working in the LGAs to ensure we have administrative officers, who would manage the affairs of the council.”
THE CONTROVERSY
On Saturday, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted elections into 23 chairmanship and 319 councillorship seats in the state.
The APP won 22 LGAs in the election, while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.
Fubara’s loyalists joined the APP to secure the party’s tickets to contest the election.
On Sunday, the Rivers governor swore in the newly elected LGA chairpersons.
Police officers were not present at the polling units during the exercise across the state.
On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.
The court also barred the inspector general of police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the conduct of the election.
On Monday, sections of three LGA headquarters were torched by hoodlums, who were attempting to prevent the newly elected chairpersons from resuming duties.
The crisis in the state is connected to the feud between Fubara and Wike over the political control of the state.
