By Akinwale Kasali
In an apparent reference to the face-off between him and his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike, now Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has emphasized that nobody can take his mandate from him. He said he will not surrender his mandate to anybody.
Wike was behind the Governor’s victory in the March 25 Governorship Elections. He was his political godfather and incurred a couple of political enemies for, literally, imposing Fubara on the State.
Shockingly, however, the two fell apart too soon, allegedly, over Wike’s insistence on a number of things, including to still run the affairs of the State.
The face off led to an aborted plan to impeach Fubara from office, and has factionalised the Rivers State House of Assembly into two. The Assembly parades two Speakers – one loyal to the Governor, and the other loyal to Wike – and has adjourned indefinitely.
Governor Fubara, who spoke at the Declaration of the 115th and 116th combined Quarterly General Meeting of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital told the Traditional Rulers open, said that his administration was being sabotaged. But he emphasized that the level of sabotage deliberately coming against his administration from some quarters, will not force him to abandon the mandate given to him to serve the people.
Fubara noted that even though the State was going through a trying period, he remained committed to serving with “humility, sincerity of purpose and accountability.”
Fubara: “Although these are trying times, let us not forget that Rivers State is our collective inheritance, presently under my watch, to protect, defend and advance it as the Governor.
“I assure you that I will not fail in this responsibility nor will I surrender our mandate and progress to intimidation, blackmail and deliberate sabotage. I reaffirm my earlier statement and recommit myself to the path of peace as there is nothing to gain in a State of needless crisis.”
