‘He Should Treat Fubara Like A Son, If He Says He’s His Political Godfather’ – Ikoawaji

Rivers State elder statesman, Asukewe Ikoawaji, has described the ongoing political rift between Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara as a “family matter” within the political class, asserting that the dispute has little to do with the people of Rivers State.

In an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Ikoawaji dismissed claims that the conflict between Wike and Fubara represented the will of Rivers elders or the general populace.

Naijaonpoint reports that he insisted that the issue is purely internal to the political bloc to which both leaders belong.

“This matter has nothing to do with Rivers State. It has nothing to do with the elders either. It is a political family problem. Every political family has a problem,” Ikoawaji stated, emphasising that the situation is confined to the two leaders and their political group.

Ikoawaji explained that since 1999, the governorship of Rivers State has rotated within a particular political bloc, and the tension between Wike and Fubara arose from their inability to resolve internal disputes. He argued that if the matter had been treated as a family issue, it would not have escalated.

He said, “If they had chosen to settle this matter like a family matter, there would not be any issue. Today, if you come to Rivers State, businesses are going on well. Everything is running smoothly. So where did the Rivers people come into this matter? That is the question many people are asking.”

Ikoawaji also weighed in on the broader political implications of the crisis, attributing similar issues to the excessive influence of governors over party affairs, particularly in selecting their successors.

He pointed out that in Nigeria, governors are often more concerned about who will succeed them than about the party’s overall strength.

“In Nigeria, every governor wants to know who he is handing over to. The party is too weak to stop this. When there’s a crisis, they refuse to resolve it,” Ikoawaji said.

On Wike’s self-identification as Fubara’s political godfather, Ikoawaji argued that Wike failed to fulfil the role of a father figure, which contributed to the conflict.

Ikoawaji said, “If Wike says he is Fubara’s political godfather, then he should treat Fubara like a son. Because he has failed to do so, it looks as if there is a problem in Rivers State.”

PDP’s Failure To Address Defections To APC

Ikoawaji also commented on the controversy surrounding lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC, an issue that was later resolved by the courts.

He criticised the PDP for its lack of decisive action when members defected, particularly when they were seen publicly carrying APC cards.

He said, “In party politics, the party is supreme. But here in Nigeria, the party is too weak. I’ve served as acting deputy national chairman (South) of the opposition party. When Buhari was our presidential candidate, and he went against the party’s position, we expelled him. That’s how he formed the CPC.”

He further criticised the PDP for not following its own constitution, which mandates that the party disowns members who defect.

Ikoawaji noted, “If you look at the PDP constitution, once a man defects, the party should disown him. But up to the day of the Supreme Court judgement, the PDP never openly disowned those people.

“Yes, they were seen carrying APC cards on TV and the internet, but did the PDP act as it should? No. To be honest, all this problem was caused by the PDP.”

When asked whether he supports Wike or Fubara, Ikoawaji made it clear that he remains neutral, emphasizing that his loyalty lies with the people of Rivers State.

“I am not on the side of Wike or Fubara. I am on the side of Rivers people. Both of them belong to one political family, but Rivers people are not all in that family,” he said.

Addressing calls for a state of emergency during the height of the crisis, Ikoawaji expressed concern about the potential for violence.

“There was tension in the state. I live in Port Harcourt. If they had gone ahead with their selfish plan, many lives would have been lost,” he warned.

He acknowledged that while President Tinubu has constitutional limits on declaring a state of emergency, the situation was grave.

Ikpawaji said, “There is no need for war. There is no need for crisis. But when there is war, there are always stray bullets. People criticised the president, saying he had no right to intervene, but in my view, it could have prevented bloodshed.”

When asked about Wike’s current status in the PDP, Ikoawaji confirmed that there is no formal evidence of his defection.

Ikoawaji added, “For today, Wike is still in the PDP. The PDP hasn’t expelled him. In Wike’s own words, he said he got a letter from the PDP.

“So as a politician, I can tell you that Wike is still in the PDP, and I challenge anyone in the PDP to say otherwise.”