Former Rivers State Commissioner for Employment, Generation, and Economic Empowerment, Leloonu Nwibubasa, has stated that the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, was summoned to Abuja to surrender, not for reconciliation.
Bellnews reports that President Bola Tinubu brokered peace between Fubara and his political godfather, Wike, on Thursday night.
The closed-door meeting was held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Tinubu hosted Wike, Fubara, and the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, alongside a handful of lawmakers.
Sources in the Presidency privy to the deal said Fubara agreed to complete his ongoing term with a promise not to re-contest in 2027.
Fubara also agreed to allow Wike to nominate all the local government chairpersons across the 23 LGAs of the state.
The source said, “It was one of the issues raised. In fact, it was the main issue. He agreed to conclude his tenure in peace and leave the stage after that. The goal is for peace to return to Rivers State. But I think Fubara got the shorter end of the stick.”
While some political stakeholders welcomed the development, Nwibubasa, in an interview with The Punch, insisted that there was no reconciliation because the governor did not attend the meeting with his supporters.
He described the development as vicious, pointing out that Tinubu and Wike had succeeded in cowing the governor to submission.
He stated, “What I see is not reconciliation. What I see is a surrender. In a reconciliation, parties come with their supporters and discussions are made, concessions are made. Where Governor Fubara walked alone to the Presidency without a single of his own supporters, not his deputy, not his Secretary to the State Government, not his Chief of Staff, not his factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and others.
“On the other hand, Wike went with his entire House of Assembly loyalists and elders and you say they went for reconciliation. No, I think Governor Sim was called to surrender and he did.
“And the composition of that visit to Mr President is a story itself and it tells you to what extent these very divisive and vicious Abuja politicians have gone to cow the governor into surrender.
On the implication for the state, Nwibubasa said it was a return to the trenches.
He added, “What it behoves for Rivers people is clear, that the political structures, economic structures and realm of leadership of Rivers State have returned to the old order.”