‘Fubara Handed Rivers Over To Wike During Emergency Rule’ – Ewor

A former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, has claimed that Governor Siminalayi Fubara effectively surrendered the political structure of the state to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following the emergency rule imposed on Rivers.

NOP.NG reports that Ewor spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, while reacting to Fubara’s support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Kingsley Chinda.

Fubara had on Wednesday publicly declared his support for Chinda ahead of the next general election.

Reacting to the development, Ewor said the governor’s endorsement of the APC candidate did not come as a surprise because, in his view, Fubara had already relinquished significant political control following negotiations held during the emergency period.

He said, “Everyone knows from the emergency rule that Fubara had already handed over the state to the FCT Minister.

“It is no news that he said it yesterday, and it will not make any news because, as far as I know, he has already given up since the emergency rule last year.”

Ewor argued that Fubara’s latest public position did not fully explain the political developments that had taken place in Rivers over the previous months.

“So the position Fubara made known to the Rivers people or indeed Nigerians yesterday was not the true reflection of what has happened over this period,” he added.

The former PDP chairman further alleged that negotiations held during the state of emergency resulted in control of the political leadership of Rivers’ 23 local government areas being ceded to Wike’s camp.

Ewor said, “During the declaration of a state of emergency, Fubara went into negotiations with the minister’s team.

“During that negotiation, Fubara handed over the leadership of the 23 local governments of the state to the FCT minister.”

Ewor also faulted Fubara for allegedly failing to brief his political supporters after the negotiations.

According to him, those who stood with the governor during the political crisis expected him to explain the outcome of the discussions and clarify the new political arrangement.

He said, “But when Fubara finished that negotiation, what we, the followers, the supporters expected from him was to come back home, gather his supporters to tell them that, look, this is the status quo as at now. This is the position of things as at today.

“But he never did this but kept pretending.”