- Governor Siminalayi Fubara urged former Governor Nyesom Wike to cease political control amidst rising violence in Rivers State
- Sunny Wokekoro, chairman of the Action People’s Party, condemned the violence, attributing it to those who initially opposed the elections
- The unrest has resulted in multiple fatalities, with eyewitness reports confirming deaths in Khana, Oyibo, and Ahoada-East local government areas
In response to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to cease his efforts to control the state, emphasising that there was no justification for setting the state on fire.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on the night of Monday, October 9, Fubara said:
“I will tell him (Wike) that there is going to be a point that he needs to let go. 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 professed for the state. We don’t need to burn down the state. Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who is going to come next?”
Recall that the newly appointed chairmen in several LGAs were chased from their offices by thugs. Reports indicate that some youths present at the council secretariats claimed they were there to clean up the premises for former council chairmen whose terms had recently ended.
The unrest turned deadly, with multiple shootings resulting in injuries and at least five reported fatalities. Eyewitness accounts confirmed one death in Khana LGA, three in Oyibo LGA, and another in Ahoada-East LGA.
Fubara discusses LGA autonomy deadline after court ruling
Fubara further said, “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. The 90-day deadline expires on October 31. I needed to do something. There is no way that an election would have been conducted in my party, considering the drama surrounding it.
“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.”
Relatedly, Sunny Wokekoro, the Rivers State chairman of the Action People’s Party (APP), characterised the violence as an unfortunate situation following what was otherwise a peaceful election in the state.
Wokekoro condemns violence, says new chairmen already at work
He emphasised that although the crisis was confined to a few council secretariats, any form of violence must be condemned.
Wokekoro, whose party secured 22 out of 23 local government areas in the October 5 elections, attributed the violence to the same individuals who opposed the election from the start.
He said, “Yes, they burnt some of the secretariats but work has since resumed. The new chairmen have taken charge and nobody can do nothing about it now.”
Tam-George blames Wike for fire incidents at 4 local government areas in Rivers
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Suspected thugs set four local government secretariats in Rivers State on fire.
Austin Tam-George, a former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, accused Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, of attempting to destabilise the state.