The 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 on Sunday.
“Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit has already left there,” he said.
The embattled governor responded to several speakers at the event who referred to him as “Governor” and strongly criticised his suspension, calling for immediate reversal.
He distanced himself from their remarks, describing them as personal opinions.
According to him, such comments were not likely to promote peace.
“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 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.
Rivers State has been at the centre of a deepening political feud between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Following the political situation in the state, President Bola Tinubu intervened in December 2023, brokering a peace deal between both sides.
However, on March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all the state lawmakers.
The President also appointed a retired naval chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state.
The move effectively dissolved the existing government structure, placing the state under federal control.
Irked by the suspension of Fubara and other elected officials in the state, 11 Peoples Democratic Party governors filed a suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the President’s action.
But the National Assembly urged the court to dismiss the suit filed by the PDP governors challenging the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
In its response, it contended that the suit was procedurally flawed and lacked merit.
It further argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and should award N1 billion in costs against the plaintiffs for filing what it termed a frivolous and speculative suit.
