Former local government chairmen in Rivers State have accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of being behind the recent protest at the Port Harcourt home of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. The ex-chairmen, who served during Wike’s tenure, warned Fubara that he doesn’t hold the exclusive right to use force in the state.
The former officials threatened to retaliate by organizing their own supporters to target Fubara’s properties. Reports indicate that on Tuesday, protesters gathered outside Wike’s residence on Ada George Road, chanting and making derogatory remarks about the former governor. The situation was tense, but law enforcement officers were able to prevent the protesters from breaching the property.
On Wednesday, the ex-chairmen, under the banner of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Rivers State, accused Fubara of directing the protesters to Wike’s home. Chidi Lloyd, a former chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, alleged, “We know Fubara sent those protesters to the minister’s residence. We will not stand by while he tries to intimidate us. We are prepared to take action.”
Lloyd added that Fubara and his associates had been mismanaging state resources, and he cautioned the governor against inciting further unrest. He also criticized Fubara’s leadership, questioning his handling of state funds.
In response, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed the allegations as baseless. Johnson suggested that the former chairmen were irrelevant now that their terms had ended. He downplayed the significance of the protest, noting that it passed peacefully under police supervision.
Johnson also claimed that the former chairmen had been holding secret meetings, allegedly to stir up trouble in the state. He described their actions as desperate and futile, likening them to “the last kick of a dying horse.”
The exchange of accusations marks a deepening rift between current and former leaders in Rivers State, with tensions rising over the direction of the state’s governance.
