Supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, under the aegis of Simplified Movement, have declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s actions in the ongoing Rivers State crisis.
The show of support marks a reversal from their earlier criticism of Tinubu’s role in the political standoff that has rocked the state in recent months.
The declaration was made during an Easter praise session organised by the Simplified Movement, a grassroots political group loyal to Governor Fubara. The event was held simultaneously across all 23 local government areas of Rivers State and featured music, prayers, and appeals for divine intervention in the state’s political future.
Addressing supporters at the Ahoada rally, Stephen Ihua-Maduenyi, a key figure in the movement, drew inspiration from the Easter celebration.
“As you very well know, today is Easter Sunday. Our Lord, our Father, Jesus Christ, is resurrected,” he said.
“We are here to celebrate this. We are here to call on Him to celebrate us, just as He celebrated mankind – that He can make it possible for our Governor to come back. We believe He can do it for us. Only He can do it for us. It is not by our power. It is His power. That is why we are gathered here.”
Meanwhile, Ovy Chukwuma, the suspended Commissioner for Education and Fubara loyalist, likened the governor’s political struggles to the resurrection story at the heart of the Easter message.
“They tried burying us in Rivers State, but we are here to tell the world that we are alive. That Rivers State is alive. That Rivers State is with him—Governor Siminalayi Fubara,” he stated.
Fubara was controversially suspended in March following a directive from President Tinubu, which dissolved the executive and the legislative arms of government in Rivers State under an emergency administrative arrangement. A sole administrator was subsequently appointed to oversee the state’s affairs for six months, drawing widespread backlash from political observers and civil society groups.