Why you must thank president Bola Tinubu for me– Fubara tells his supporters

Embattled suspended governor of Rivers, Sim Fubara has told his supporters and members of the Simplified Movement to be grateful to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely intervention in Rivers state.

Sim Fubara who spoke at an event organized by the members of the Simplified Movement, an interest group whose aim is to provide political support to the governor, expressed deep gratitude to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu noting that the president acted with wisdom and precision in his declaration of state of emergency in Rivers state.

He appealed to the members of the Simplified Movement and his supporters across the country to be grateful to president Tinubu for his foresight and show of true leadership in Rivers state.

He explained that he was surprised by the president and wondered how the president was getting information about the state; information which necessitated his right judgement and decision to declare state of emergency on Rivers state.

The governor assured his supporters at the event which was to serve as get together of Fubara’s supporters as well as celebration of his two-year anniversary, that lasting political peace will soon return in the state as he and the suspended lawmakers will be reinstated in no distant time.

Governor Fubara also enjoined his supporters to apologize to president Tinubu as well as subject themselves to peace initiative in the state. He said the president acted in the best interest of Rivers state by averting development that would have plunged the state into crisis.

The governor insinuated that president Bola Ahmed Tinubu good intention may have been misconstrued by his supporters and as such, should be apologized to.

Recall that former governor Nyesom Wike with whom governor Fubara is in politics tussle, had in an interview with TVC declared that president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers state saved governor Fubara.

Wike boasted in the interview that had president Tinubu not intervened that Fubara would have been impeached by the members of the Rivers state House of Assembly.

While it appears as though governor Sim Fubara’s controversial suspension will be prematurely lifted before its six month duration, Nigerians await the ruling of the Nigeria’s supreme court on the suit challenging president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of governor Sim Fubara.

Recall that 12 state-governors under the leading opposition party in Nigeria, the People’s Democratic party (PDP) following president Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency on Rivers state and suspending Rivers State House of Assembly members as well as the deputy governor of Rivers state,  approached the Nigeria’s Supreme Court to determine whether the president posses such constitutional power to suspend an elected governor of a state in the Nigeria’s federation.

Also, Sim Fubara in his second year anniversary as Rivers state governor while serving his suspension, appealed to his supporters to discard political grudges against their perceived political enemies in Rivers state.

In a lengthy tweet through his X handle, the suspended governor of Rivers state recounted the achievement of Rivers State government under his two-year administration. He stated that despite the state’s challenges that his administration has impacted different sectors of the state ranging from health, education, agriculture, infrastructure to security and economy.

While expressing his gratitude to the indigenes of Rivers state for their support and prayers, governor Fubara also appealed to them to show understanding in the face of a potential difficult decision he is to make in the coming days; he however stated that whatever decision he is to make will be in the interest of the Rivers state people.

“We are at a crucial point in our journey, where difficult decisions must be made. Be assured that every step we take will be guided by your best interests and the enduring good of Rivers State”, he wrote in part.

This has added to the speculation about the governor’s political future especially his rumoured defection to the APC

Reports had claimed that the governor had reached a secret pact with president Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his meeting with the president in London earlier this month. According to the report, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu mandated governor Sim Fubara to decamp to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as one of the conditions for his six month suspension to be prematurely lifted.

While governor Sim Fubara has not openly confirmed or debunked the report, his recent actions in the public domain gives more credence to the report. Sim Fubara recently denounced all form of protests and expression of displeasure at his controversial suspension. He suggested that he is vastly better off without the governorship seat.

Hence, in his anniversary message to the Rivers State people and his supporters, the suspended governor reiterated: “to those still carrying the weight of our recent political struggles, I appeal to you, let us turn the page,come together & focus on our shared goal of progress & unity. The time to rebuild & rise is now. Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve”.

This is addition to the report that the governor had visited his political godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike to seek his forgiveness as well as to reconcile their differences.

The governor while acknowledging the fact that the political crisis in Rivers state has affected the state and his administration, stated that he has learnt lessons from the development and that his administration will emerge stronger from the crisis and that Rivers state will become enviable to other states.

While the Supreme Court is yet to deliver its judgement on such an unprecedented case and highly controversial political development, the vast majority of Nigerians who are abreast of the Rivers state political developments, believe that the Supreme Court decision on the suit will set a notable precedence in the Nigeria’s political and legal framework.

However, former governor Nyesom Wike in series of tweets through his X handle on 27th of May, revealed that he had reached an agreement with the members of the PDP governors’ forum for the withdrawal of the suit at the supreme court as one of the conditions for genuine reconciliation in PDP. While decrying insincerity on the part of the PDP governors’ forum, Wike pointed out that the PDP governors’ forum reneged on the agreements he reached with them.