Amidst the ongoing face-off with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, has declared that intimidation has a limited shelf life.
The political crisis in Rivers State, which began on October 30, 2023, has deeply divided the House of Assembly, with 27 lawmakers aligning with Wike and four pledging allegiance to Fubara. The situation escalated with an explosion in the State Assembly complex on October 29, 2023, leading to an impeachment process against Fubara and the suspension of four lawmakers.
Despite a peace pact brokered by President Bola Tinubu in December 2023, signed by both Fubara and Wike, tensions persist in the state. Last week, the crisis took a new turn as the APC leadership in the state urged Wike’s loyalists to initiate an impeachment process against Fubara.
In response, both Wike and Fubara engaged in verbal sparring over the weekend. Speaking from the state’s Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara dismissed concerns about intimidation, asserting that it has a finite duration.
“Intimidation has a time, and when it expires, it’s over,” Fubara remarked. “Every bad thing that has a beginning has an end. Don’t worry about me – we have put that behind us; we are focused on the future.”
Fubara’s statement reflects his determination to weather the political storm and his confidence in overcoming challenges posed by intimidation tactics.