Emergency rule: 85% of people deceiving Fubara didn’t support him in 2023 — Group

A frontline political group, the Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM), has declared that 85% of the Ijaws who were beating war drums, misadvising the suspended Governor of Rivers State, and threatening an arm of government from performing its legitimate legislative functions were either non-Rivers Ijaws who do not vote in the state or Ijaws who did not support Governor Siminalayi Fubara in 2023.

The group claimed that the majority of well-meaning Rivers Ijaws, standing on the truth, support all efforts of Mr. President and the FCT Minister, right from the 8-point resolution peace pact at the villa.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the RRM stated that after an extensive meeting with its leaders and affiliate groups regarding the state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of the executive and legislative arms of government due to a protracted political disagreement, it wished to “specially thank the Father of the Nation, President Bola Tinubu GCFR, the National Assembly, security agencies, and various national leaders for their timely intervention to rescue Rivers State.

Signed by its Director-General, Hon. Johnson Georgewill, and Secretary, Mrs. Sarima Akpata, the RRM said, “It is now clear that the Sole Administrator, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), has brought stability, peace, and unity among state actors, as opposed to the impunity, high-handedness, threats, and complete annihilation of the legislative arm that was the order of the day.

“As a group, we want to make it clear that 85% of the Ijaws who were beating war drums, ill-advising the suspended Governor of Rivers State, and threatening an arm of government from performing its legitimate legislative functions were either non-Rivers Ijaws who don’t vote in Rivers State or Ijaws who didn’t support H.E. Sim Fubara in 2023.

“This clearly shows that the majority of well-meaning Rivers Ijaws, standing on the truth, support all efforts of Mr. President and the FCT Minister, right from the 8-point resolution peace pact at the villa.”

The RRM and its affiliate groups also expressed gratitude to various traditional rulers, opinion leaders, and especially the Rivers Elders Council, ably led by Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, for supporting the Sole Administrator of Rivers State in averting the looming anarchy in the state.

“We also reiterate the fact that the majority of Ijaws who stood firm with H.E. Sim Fubara to emerge as governor are eternally grateful to the leader of Rivers State politics and FCT Minister, H.E. Nyesom Wike (CON), for being the instrument God used to liberate the Rivers Ijaws politically in 2023 against all odds,” the group asserted.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE