THE Elders Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party has apologized to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for the ongoing rift between him and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The elders, led by the Executive Director of Finance at the Niger Delta Development Commission, Boma Iyaye, apologized to Wike on Saturday at the Rivers State Ijaw Peoples Congress organised in his honour in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Iyaye stated that the Ijaw people were sorry for the embarrassment and public display of disregard for the minister by Fubara.
He said, “On behalf of our people, we are apologising to you for what our son is doing to you. We are sorry. We are sorry o because it is not in our nature to pay evil for good. You have done well for us, and we will continue to say thank you.
“Your Excellency, do not, because of this bad behaviour of our son, run away from us. Continue to be our brother. Continue to have us in mind. We have never set our feet on the number one seat of Rivers State. You made it possible for us to become the governor of Rivers State.”
The Chairman of the Elders Forum, PDP Rivers State, Ferdinard Anabraba, berated the Fubara government, saying that the Ijaw nationality would not forget Wike.
“The aberration we are seeing in the administration of Rivers State is only a demonstration of lack of political discharge of an individual, and by no means the opinion of Ijaw people.
“We, the Ijaw, see you as the light of Rivers State. You are indeed a notable strategist in Nigeria’s contemporary politics. And without doubt, you are the most celebrated Ijaw politician of national recognition,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri seems to have joined the G-5 faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Rivers State governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Fintiri, on Saturday alongside Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde and other former G-5 members, attended a grand reception hosted by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress in honour of Wike.
This development comes on the heels of Fintiri’s public endorsement of Ambassador Umar Damagun as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a close ally of Wike. The endorsement was made amid internal discord and criticism directed at the current National Working Committee of the party.
Notedly, Fintiri and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are from the same state. Atiku is opposed to the continued chairmanship of Damagum.
The G-5 group, self-styled as the Integrity Group, comprised five governors from the PDP who refused to support Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, in the 2023 election.
Their stance was rooted in the belief that the presidency should rotate between the North and the South, promoting inclusivity and a rotational presidency.
The group initially had Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers State) as members.
Additional reports courtesy of PoliticsNigeria
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