The suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has said he is not desperate to return to office.
Fubara stated this at the service of songs held in honour of the late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, organised by the Rivers Elders Forum yesterday.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in March declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
The president made the declaration in a nationwide broadcast, where he equally appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (rtd) as the state’s administrator to oversee governance. Tinubu said the decision was taken to restore stability in the state that had been engulfed in political crisis.
But Tinubu’s decision triggered widespread protests from some political leaders, legal experts and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors instituting a legal action over the issue.
The political crisis in Rivers State followed the feud between Fubara and his predecessor, who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the control of politics and governance in the state.
Their feud led to the burning down of the state House of Assembly. The crisis equally led to the defection of some politicians in the state to other parties.
There are still efforts at resolving the crisis between Fubara and the FCT Minister.
But yesterday several speakers at the event referred to Fubara as “governor” and strongly criticised his suspension, calling for his immediate reinstatement.
But responding, Fubara said, “Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit has already left there.”
He said such comments were not likely to promote peace, describing them as the opinions of the speakers.
Fubara further warned that some of the actions taken by some of his supporters, though well-intended, had only worsened his situation.
He urged the attendees to focus on the tribute of Edwin Clark who lived a “selfless life” advocating for the Niger Delta region and not make it about politics.
“Not everything is by oshogbe,” he cautioned, hinting at his preference for a more strategic and less confrontational approach to the ongoing political crisis.
Fubara in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, after the event urged his supporters to t”one down their confrontational approach” to the state’s political situation and follow his strategic steps towards enduring peace by showing restraint.