Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has said that he is not desperate to return to office.
Fubara made this known at a service of songs held in honour of the late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt.
At the event organised by the Rivers Elders Forum, several speakers referred to Fubara as “Governor” and criticised his suspension, calling for its immediate reversal.
However, Fubara distanced himself from their remarks, describing them as personal opinions.
“Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit has already left there,” he said.
He cautioned that such comments were unlikely to promote peace, adding, “not everything is by ‘oshogbe.’”
Fubara warned that some actions taken by his supporters, though well-intended, had worsened his situation.
He urged attendees to focus on paying tribute to Edwin Clark, who lived a selfless life advocating for the Niger Delta region, rather than making it about politics.
Rivers State has been embroiled in a deepening political feud between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
President Bola Tinubu intervened in December 2023, brokering a peace deal between both sides.
However, the President’s subsequent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers and suspension of Fubara and other elected officials has sparked further controversy.
11 Peoples Democratic Party governors have filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging the President’s action.
However, the National Assembly has urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that it is procedurally flawed and lacks merit.
The National Assembly also contends that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit and should award N1 billion in costs against the plaintiffs.
