Edith CHUKU
Immediate past CSO of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mr. Chizi Chuku, has condemned a statement credited to the senate president, Senator Godswill Akpabio, regarding the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State.
Recall that at a church service in Tai LGA, Akpabio made a remark where he asked the former governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to choose a successor from the Ogoni extraction to succeed the incumbent governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in 2027.
Chuku described Akpabio’s statement as provocative, urging him to use his position as senate president to play fatherly role and desist from allegedly instigating problems in Rivers State.
The former CSO who spoke in an exclusive interview with TNN said “this is one of the reasons I resigned my position as the CSO, because of intimidation and slavery in Rivers State. Imagine the senate president, Senator Godswill Akpabio coming to Rivers State to instigate problem; telling the former governor, Hon. Nyesom Wike, to choose from a particular ethnic nationality a governor that will succeed 2027.
“I want to tell you, Senator Akpabio, that you are supposed to use your position as a senate president to play the role of a father not to instigate problem in Rivers State.
“Rivers State is not Akwa Ibom State where you feel that you can maneuver and do whatever thing you want to do. In Rivers State you cannot have your way. If it is also your plan that our amiable governor, the God sent governor, the Joseph of our time, governor Siminalayi Fubara will not complete his eight years reign, I will tell you that you have failed.”
He further gave the assurance that the people of the state would support Fubara to govern for complete eight years, insisting that Akpabio “don’t have any power to stop it. And we will stand you and stop whatever thing you feel you can do to maneuver.”
Chuku also reacted to the senate president’s claim on projects and infrastructure. “only the ring road that our governor has embarked on in less than a year, worth more than the farm roads that Nyesom Wike did for Rivers people. It’s only a blind man that is not seeing the projects that is going on in Rivers State. Or is it because he is not gathering people, calling people from various states to come and flag off road and projects, just like some people when they were governors, in three-kilometer road you see them inviting governors of other states, inviting some dignitaries from different areas of the nation to come and flag-off, by the time you consider the money they spend in flagging off and commissioning, you discover that the money is even bigger than the project itself, wasting Rivers money, is that what you want him to start doing?
“Fubara will complete his eight years, and after much Rivers people will elect who will govern them. It’s not in your position Godswill Akpabio to choose who will govern Rivers people.
“You are even talking about 2027, you as a senate president, you are not even sure of going back or winning your senatorial position in 2027, why talking and instigating problem in Rivers State.
“I want to tell you that if you come to Rivers State you cannot win any position, you cannot contest election in Rivers State and win. Rivers State is not just an ordinary state that you feel you can just maneuver, Rivers State not Akwa Ibom State. So, I am telling you that Rivers people are solidly behind our governor, we are ready to work with him and we are working with him.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, has declared Akpabio as an enemy of Rivers people. This was contained in a release made available to TNN by the party’s state publicity secretary, Tambari Sydney Gbara, on Monday.
Here is the statement:
“The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, says it is now obvious that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio is an enemy of Rivers people, as evident in his past and present actions and utterances on issues concerning the State.
“PDP made the remark following a comment made by Senator Akpabio in response to a statement by Rivers State Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara during the burial of the late Chief Herbert Wigwe, wife and son at Isiokpo on Saturday 9th March 2024.
“Recall that at the Funeral ceremony, Fubara during his speech said: “Here we are,, people from all walks of life to pay our last respect to the Wigwes because he was able to affect lives positively when he was alive even when he was not a politician, yet he controlled the business class as well as the political class with his fame, affluent and wealth but could not control death, which brings me to a question to the politicians; Why the struggle to kill and bury one another over power”.
“It was a solemn and mind-bugging question to underline the ephemerality of life and the futility of political brigandage in the quest for power. The statement itself took mourners on a philosophical drive of sober reflection on the gains and vanity of life. The applause from sympathisers and mourners at the burial, however, drew the anger of Senator Akpabio who mounted the rostrum afterwards to fight, after narrating a concocted fallacious story between him and a former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom state over a power struggle, attempted to ridicule Fubara by asking him to resign if there was no need to struggle to kill for power.
“The PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary Sydney Tambari Gbara, condemn Senator Akpabio’s statement, expressing worry that he had consistently shown disdain, unimaginable level of disrespect and hatred for His Excellency, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, governor of Rivers State through his utterances at public functions in the State.
“His actions against Rivers people had never been pleasant but embarrassing, as he seems to have taken advantage of the political impasse in the State to perfect his evil enterprise of igniting more crises to the detriment of the State”.
“The PDP also recalled that in 2021 when Youths from Rivers State in conjunction with Niger Delta youths blocked the Akpajo -Onne section of the East/west road in a peaceful protest following its dilapidated nature, Senator Godswill Akpabio, then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, deceived the youths by hiring some road construction equipment, moved them to the road, thereby raising the false impression that the contractors had moved to the site to commence work on the failed part of the road, but not long after the youth withdrew from the road that Senator Akpabio, removed the equipment at night from the road, leaving it worse than it was and causing a number avoidable death of Rivers people and other users of the road.
“Another instance of display of obvious hatred for Rivers people by Senator Akpabio was the harassment and attempted abduction of an illustrious daughter of the State, Gbene Joi Nunieh from her house here in Port Harcourt, during her appointment as NDDC Acting Managing Director, just to make sure that she was removed
“Recently, at a church service in Tai local government area, the same Akpabio had made a ridiculous remark regarding the 2027 Governorship election in Rivers State
“At the service, Akpabio had called on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to look for somebody from the Ogoni extraction who will take over from Governor Siminialayi Fubara in 2027. Such a statement was a huge embarrassment which could provoke a crisis as the Governor has not told anyone that he would not seek reelection in 2027.
“All these have exposed Senator Godswill Akpabio’s desire to stir up sentiments and aggravate the political crisis already confronting the State”.
“The PDP said it is indeed sad that rather than Senator Akpabio who is a Statesman in his position as Senate President to play the role of a mediator in resolving the crises, as a South/south son, he is joining forces with the enemies of the State in fanning the embers of war, disunity and destabilization, through incisive and provocative comments each time he visits Rivers State, something he does not do in his home State of Akwa Ibom, also a PDP controlled State, noting that in Akwa Ibom Senator Akpabio preaches peace, unity and progress in public functions but does the opposite in Rivers State.
“The PDP therefore uses this medium to advise Senator Akpabio to refrain from verbal attacks on the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminialayi Fubara as the people of the State would no longer take for granted, such comments capable of further dividing the people.
“The PDP also warned that if however, Senator Akpabio decides to continue to choose the path of dishonour by making negative unprovoked utterances against Governor Fubara, he may not be welcomed into Rivers State again.
“While appealing to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu to call Godswill Akpabio to order as his consistent throwing of tantrums at the State Governor and the people is capable of provoking crisis in the State, which is against the tenets of the Peace Proclamation Mr President brokered. We also advise him to concentrate more on his job as Senate president and avoid delving into petty issues in Rivers State.
“We enjoin Rivers people to continue to have faith in the present administration as it is poised to deliver democratic dividends to the poor and downtrodden people of the State, while also appealing to Rivers people to resist petty actions and utterances capable of derailing the direction of our focused administration under the leadership of Governor Fubara, no matter who or where it is coming from, and join forces with the party, to defend our people against enemies of the State.”
