By Jumbo Fagbor, P/Harcout
Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has appealed to his supporters to embrace the peace deal initiated by President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to achieve total reconciliation and move the state forward.
The Governor’s remarks come 48 hours after a fresh round of peace talks at the Presidential Villa in Abuja aimed at ending the prolonged political rift between Fubara and his former political ally, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on Saturday during a meeting with leaders and stakeholders of the Simplified Movement in Port Harcourt, Fubara acknowledged the role of President Tinubu in brokering the truce and confirmed that he has personally reconnected with Wike.
“So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one where both parties sit together and say, ‘Yes, this is what we want,’” Fubara said.
“At this point, I’ve met him and we have spoken. You can’t take away the fact that he’s hurt—he’s human. I also have my share of the pain.
“But if we believe we belong to one political family and our goal is to support the President, then we must show it now,” he added.
The governor appealed to his supporters to look beyond personal grievances and consider the broader interest of the state, citing stalled developmental projects as a consequence of the lingering crisis.
“In the midst of this crisis between me and the FCT Minister, look at the projects we’ve initiated. Many have been abandoned.
“We know the progress we could have made and the areas that could have been developed. So, there is a need for this peace — that’s the truth,” he said.
Fubara assured the stakeholders of his continued commitment to their cause, stating that reconciliation does not mean betrayal.
“I can’t abandon you people. This is the time for me to prove that I care for you. I make my commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that the path to peace would require sacrifices.
He said: “The sacrifice that we are going to make for total peace is going to be heavy. I want everybody to prepare for it. Without reconciliation — which, by the grace of God, both of us have now embraced — there can be no progress in the state.”
He concluded with a firm appeal: “I have accepted that we must embrace peace, no matter how it looks, no matter how you feel. We must accept it.”
Fubara’s remarks come shortly after he joined Wike at the burial ceremony of the latter’s uncle in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, in what is seen as a public signal of renewed engagement between the estranged political allies.
