President Bola Tinubu has moved to end the rift between Governor Simi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike, which has dragged the state into a political crisis.
The president used the opportunity of Tuesday’s meeting of the Police Council, which both attended as members, to ostensibly end the feud between the two political allies.
The governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, disclosed this while briefing correspondents on the outcome of the meeting presided over by the president at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Despite their feud, Fubara and Wike, who is the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had earlier exchanged pleasantries inside the Council Chambers venue of the meeting before it commenced.
Mohammed, who is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF), also disclosed that the opposition governors have resolved to work with the president because he has shown good faith by not interfering with gubernatorial cases brought before the courts by PDP members.
The Bauchi governor stated: “We had a closed session, you will recall, members of the press, where a very serious national issue was discussed that has security implications. That is the problem emerging in rivers.
“Mr President, in his usual leadership position, intervened, and it would appear there would be peace in that respect.
“On that topic, the governors of the PDP, on their behalf, I spoke and extolled the leadership qualities of the President and congratulated him, expressing appreciation that all the PDP governors who had gone through the tribunals have emerged victorious. We know that his leadership
“There was professionalism in the conduct, the way, and the manner in which the judiciary is working under his leadership, and he has shown that he’s a president for everybody—a president for the PDP, a president for the APC.
“By intervening today and bringing succour and solace to the people of Rivers and Nigeria and by making sure that he did not use his big hammer and biro to extricate and emasculate us as opposition, we find this to be very good, and going forward, we pledge that we’re going to work with him to bring good governance to the people of Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, rising from an emergency meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the PDP-GF called on Governor Fubara and Wike to sheath their swords while offering a platform for the duo, who are members of the party, to resolve their differences.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, read by the chairman, stated, “The PDP Governors were alarmed at the recent developments in Rivers State and welcome the intervention of Mr President to bring the crisis to an end.
“The meeting urged all parties to the Rivers State crisis to sheath their sword and resort to peaceful means of resolution. The Forum further offers its platform for quick and just containment of the issues involved.”
The opposition governors also called on President Tinubu to take urgent measures to stabilise the naira, control inflation, stem the unemployment crisis, and bring more succour to Nigerians.
The meeting noted the recent judgement of the Supreme Court on the 2023 presidential election and expressed the belief that it brings an end to the presidential election cycle as there must be an end to litigation.
The communiqué added: “As a forum, we believe and re-state our faith and confidence in the judiciary to do justice in political and other cases before the courts.
“We are concerned that while the Supreme Court has laid down precedents on pre-election issues, PDP candidates in Plateau State are being disqualified on the same grounds.
“We urge the judiciary at the apex level to ensure that our jurisprudence is not distorted. We remain vigilant in the struggle for democracy and good governance in the country.”
The forum vowed to reposition and strengthen the PDP as a viable opposition political party “ready and willing to play its role as the vanguard of the Nigerian people for democracy, good governance, and accountability.”
Among the governors in attendance at the meeting were the host, Seyi Makinde (Oyo),Bala Mohammed (Chairman, Bauchi), Simi Fubara (Rivers, who was attending for the first time), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Ifeanyi Ossai (Deputy Gov. Enugu)