Siminalayi Fubara
By Victory Oghene
A drama of monumental proportion played out yesterday in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State as the six-month emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu came to an end. Governor Siminalayi Fubara who was expected to take over from the outgoing Sole Administrator, Ekwe Ibas was nowhere to be found, leaving jubilant supporters disillusioned.
Fubara, who was outside the country during the suspension of the emergency rule was expected to resume at the Government House on Wednesday but by dusk, he had not appeared at the Brick House or anywhere else in the state.
Earlier in the day, the outgoing Sole Administrator officially ended his tenure and pulled out of the Government House. Despite this, the premises remained largely empty, with only a handful of security personnel and essential staff present. A source within the Brick House disclosed that most workers, including members of the press corps and protocol officers, were denied access until the governor’s formal resumption.
“Nothing is happening in that place now, until the governor resumes. Many workers were not allowed to enter. It is just empty, like during transitions,” the source said.
What began as a day of jubilation in Port Harcourt quickly turned into confusion and disappointment.
Supporters had thronged the entrance of the Government House and adjoining roads from as early as 7:00 a.m., braving the scorching sun in anticipation of welcoming the governor back to office. The gathering, which included top political leaders such as his former Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, Evans Bipi, and former council chairmen Chijioke Ihunwo and Ezebunwo Itche-Mati, was accompanied by musicians, dancers, masquerades, and entertainers who caused gridlock as they performed.
By 5:10 p.m., however, the scene had drastically changed. The once jubilant crowd dispersed in disappointment when it became clear the governor would not appear. Even his close allies admitted they were uncertain whether Fubara would return yesterday or today.
Reporters observed that the Government House and its surroundings, which had earlier been overwhelmed with supporters and festivities, were left almost deserted, with only skeletal movement in sight. Entertainers and pressmen who had earlier gathered also departed, leaving residents questioning the next move of the embattled governor.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said that he spoke with Fubura who confirmed his readiness to return to Rivers State following the suspension of the six-month emergency rule imposed on the state.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Wike said he had spoken with Fubara, and the governor was ready to return to the country to assume office.
Wike also stated that he had forgiven Fubara, stressing that there was no longer any conflict between him and his successor.
He said, “I have already said that we’ve been speaking. I will not engage with a man I have not forgiven. Everything is over. I am not a politician who says one thing today and another tomorrow. We must move forward.
“Unfortunately, there are people who do not want peace. Today, I watched individuals twisting the law, claiming illegality in the conduct of local government elections. But ask them: what did they do to prevent such illegality in the first place? When you hear them pontificating and shouting, you would think they have solutions—yet they do nothing except attempt to create crisis. The president has done a great deal for us, and peace has been restored.”
