A former Minister of Transport, Abiye Sekibo, has revealed that he and other political leaders in Rivers State abandoned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s influence.
Naijaonpoint reports that Sekibo made the disclosure on Thursday during the inauguration of the Borokiri Fire Service facility, rehabilitated by Governor Fubara in Port Harcourt.
He explained that Governor Fubara convinced them to shift their allegiance from Atiku to Tinubu, urging the president to disregard claims that the Rivers governor is surrounded by Atiku’s loyalists.
‘Fubara Convinced Us To Support Tinubu’
Addressing the gathering, Sekibo appealed directly to President Tinubu, emphasizing Rivers State’s history of aligning with the central government.
Sekibo said, “Mr President, our own President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, lend me your ears. We, the Rivers people, have always supported the government at the center. We have always worked with the government at the center.
“This governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has convinced Rivers people that they must stand with their President, and we do stand with you.
“There might be persons telling you stories, especially when they see people like me, who were core Atiku men, they will say, ‘don’t you see it is Atiku people that are with the governor?’
“But there are also Atiku people with them there in Abuja. The governor has convinced us that the place to be is with our President, and Mr. President, we stand with you.”
Sekibo emphasized that supporting Tinubu was a logical step, given the outcome of the presidential election.
He continued, “The elections delivered you as our President, and so we stand with you.
“The elections delivered this governor, our son. For the first time in 24 years, the Ijaw nation in more than eight local government areas of Rivers State has an opportunity to have one of their own as the governor of this state.
“We stand with him. We have no choice.”
Fubara Prioritizes Stability, Development
The former minister praised Governor Fubara’s commitment to the people of Rivers State, noting that despite financial challenges, he ensured that the state remained stable.
“At a time when the state’s funds were seized, he made sure that there was no problem in Rivers. He kept essential services running and worked tirelessly to avoid creating any trouble for the federal government,” Sekibo stated.