Recognise Wike as Rivers’ leader, Fubara urges supporters

File: Siminalayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged his supporters to stop addressing him as their leader, saying that following his reconciliation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, he is now a member of the Rainbow Coalition, with Wike as its leader.

The governor said he was aware that those who stood by him during the political crisis that rocked the state still referred to him as their leader, particularly during their meetings, but stressed that the disagreement between him and his political godfather was over.

The Rainbow Coalition is a political platform initiated by Wike, a former Rivers State governor, to bring different political parties in the state together to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Fubara said he had returned to his political family and submitted himself to Wike’s leadership despite being the sitting governor, urging his supporters to understand that they were now part of the same political bloc.

The governor spoke at the unveiling of candidates of the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 elections in Rivers State at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

While repeatedly addressing the FCT minister as “My oga”, Fubara said he would not have become governor without Wike, whom he said God had used to elevate him to the position.

Fubara said, “Let me say something here so that it will always help us while we move forward. I’m aware there are some issues where some persons who followed me when we had the crisis, when you’re in your meeting, you say, ‘My leader, my leader.’

“We are now in one house. And because we have one house, there is no issue about who is the leader. I might be your oga (governor), but we have a common leader now. So please, going forward, this issue of ‘my leader, my leader, my leader’, I want it resolved here and now.”

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Fubara, who handed over flags to the coalition’s candidates at the event, continued, “Having taken care of that, let me continue. Your Excellency, my oga (referring to Wike). The leader of Rainbow Coalition. Let me borrow the language of the PDP man. He said ‘our G.O.’ You’re the G.O. of Rainbow Coalition.”

Expressing delight that the crisis had ended, Fubara said he was optimistic that the political family had been reunited for what he described as a “good course”.

He promised to work for the victory of Tinubu and all candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 elections.

He said, “I’m really happy to be here. Not just being here, but standing in the midst of my family. This is my family because I wouldn’t have been the governor of Rivers State if God Almighty had not passed through my oga and other leaders to make it possible in our dear state.

“So no matter what has happened, I’m very grateful today that one way or the other we are back together for a better course and for the good of our dear state. I want to say that I’m here with all my heart, my soul and my body, and I will do everything within my power to ensure that we have victory, not just for Mr President, who has stood for me in my most difficult time, but also to ensure that this power still remains in our own bloc.

“That it (power) doesn’t go to any other place apart from where it is still standing, which is under the leadership of His Excellency Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.”

Fubara added, “Let me attend to the business of the day. I want to say it is a rare honour to be the one to unveil the candidates that would be standing and, by the special grace of God, cruise to victory come January 2027.

“I would like somebody to support by calling their names while I hand over the flags to the candidates of the Rainbow Coalition for the forthcoming election. But the most important one, which is the climax of this day, I will do that myself.”