Rivers political crisis: Any attempt to undermine Fubara will have dire consequences, INC warns
By Ishaya Ibrahm
As the political crisis rocking the oil-rich State of Rivers simmers, the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, Ijaw National Congress (INC), has warned that any attempt to undermine Governor Siminalayi Fubara will have dire consequences for national peace and economic stability.
Condemning in strong terms the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers State political crisis, which threw Fubara under the bus and strengthened the hands of his political adversaries led by his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory Minister, INC warned that it could lead to widespread instability in the Niger Delta.
The INC, through its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, declared that the judgment failed to acknowledge the historical and political sacrifices made by the Ijaw people in the governance of Rivers State.
Governor Fubara is of the Ijaw ethnic nationality and the first to be elected governor in the state since the return of democracy in 1999. Wike is not only Ikwerre, but also the third person from that ethnicity to be governor coming after Sir Celestine Omehia and Rotimi Amaechi since the inception of the Fourth Republic.
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Tracing the roots of political dynamics in Rivers State, the INC emphasized that the Ijaw people have played a crucial, albeit selfless role in shaping the state’s leadership for decades.
According to Prof. Okaba, in 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshall Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Dr. Peter Odili, despite a formidable challenge from Sergeant Awuse.
Harry, he said, further ensured Odili’s victory against a Kalabari opponent, Chief Ebenezer Isokariari of the All Peoples Party (APP).
Sadly, the INC recalled that in 2003 when Marshall Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people.
The group also recalled that in 2007 Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches.
“Similarly, in 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of then-President Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead,” the group mourned.
The INC lamented that despite these consistent sacrifices by the Ijaw people, an Ikwerre political elite now seeks to frustrate the first riverine governor in decades.
In view of this, the INC did not mince words in its warning to the federal government.
The body stated that the Ijaw people will defend Governor Fubara “with every pint of blood in their veins,” emphasizing that they would not stand by and allow their long-awaited tenure to be truncated.
Prof. Okaba also cautioned that while the INC has worked tirelessly to preserve peace in the Niger Delta, leading to increased oil production and revenue for the nation, regrettably, the same resources are now being used to marginalize the Ijaw people.
He specifically pointed out that this trend extends beyond Rivers State to Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom, where Ijaws continue to face political exclusion.
A Message to President Tinubu
The INC cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to treat the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State as ordinary politicking.
Prof. Okaba stressed that the Ijaw nation, with over 40 million people worldwide, will not tolerate any attempt to undermine its place in Nigerian politics.
He further stated that while the group enjoins Gov. Fubara to, in the spirit of sportsmanship, work with all duly constituted arms of government in the State, if Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the Amaewhule-led Assembly or anybody else, “the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production,” a veiled warning of potential disruptions in the country’s petroleum industry.
Uncertain political future in Rivers State
With the INC’s firm stance, tension in Rivers State is expected to escalate if urgent steps are not taken to resolve the political crisis amicably.
Stakeholders now look up to President Tinubu and other national leaders to navigate the unfolding situation carefully to avoid plunging the oil-rich region into chaos.
An Ijaw indigene who spoke to TheNiche anonymously said, “As the political battle unfolds, one thing remains clear—the Ijaw National Congress has drawn the line, and any further attempts to sideline Governor Fubara may come at a heavy price.”
