An elder statesman and Convener of the Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought, Sunnie Chukumele, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara will no longer wield the full influence of his office upon his return on September 18.
Chukumele, in an interview with Punch, while describing the just-concluded local government election as a “charade”, insisted that the outcome showed Rivers people had rejected the process.
He said, “He is coming back as a puppet and Rivers State people are not prepared for a puppet. Rivers people are not happy. How many people came out to vote in the council election? It was nothing short of a boycott. We are disappointed.”
He maintained that the grip of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on the state would not last beyond 2027.
Chukumele declared, “If they lift the so-called emergency rule and he comes back now, Martin Amaewhule and Nyesom Wike will still dictate the tune. But in 2027, Rivers people will elect their own governor.”
A prominent politician in the state, who preferred not to be named in a chat with Punch, said it would be more dignifying for the governor to resign immediately after his reinstatement rather than return to what he described as inevitable humiliation.
The politician suggested, “What the governor can do now is, when he is recalled, he should resume. But the following day, to save his face, he should address Rivers people and then resign from office.”
Another elder statesman and member of the Rivers State Elders Council, Asukewe Ikoawaju, expressed doubts about Governor Fubara’s capacity to fulfil his campaign promises amid the lingering political crisis.
He likened the governor’s anticipated return to that of a child taking hesitant first steps. “It is like a baby who must first crawl before learning to walk,” he said.
While criticising Wike for plunging the state into “an avoidable web of confusion,” Ikoawaju argued that Fubara had lost the backing of both his loyalists and the general public.
Ikoawaju stressed that governance was about continuity, noting that six months away from power was enough to derail an administration’s vision.
He faulted the role of the Sole Administrator, accusing him of exceeding his mandate, and described the crisis as a personal family feud between Wike and Fubara that had been imposed on the state. “Any leader who cannot solve his family problem is not worth being a leader,” he said.
He also criticised the appointment of someone outside Rivers to head the state electoral body, insisting that state elections must be managed in line with the Constitution. On whether Fubara would return as a puppet, Ikoawaju said the governor had already lost grip of his supporters and the confidence of Rivers people.
“When the people needed him, he was not there. Both the Governor and the former Governor know what they want to do with Rivers people. But come 2027, we will not keep quiet. We will not allow what we have seen today to happen again,” he vowed.
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