Former LP Candidate Urges Fubara To Apologize To Wike Over Rivers Political Crisis

Political tensions escalate as LP’s Eradiri speaks out

Udengs Eradiri, former Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Bayelsa State’s 2023 elections, has urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to seek reconciliation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in order to resolve the intensifying political unrest in the state.

Eradiri, who spoke on the matter in a widely circulated interview, attributed the ongoing political discord to what he described as Governor Fubara’s administrative incompetence, and strongly advised against injecting ethnicity into the crisis.

“Fubara should stop ethnicizing the issue” – Eradiri

“Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s lack of leadership experience is the root cause of this negative political energy in Rivers. He shouldn’t drag the Ijaw ethnic group into his personal political battles,” Eradiri said.

He questioned the governor’s track record in supporting Ijaw communities, pointing out the lack of significant empowerment initiatives for Ijaw youths and leaders under Fubara’s administration.

“Let him show us how many Ijaws in Rivers State he has empowered or appointed to significant roles like local government chairmen or commissioners,” he added.

Eradiri further stressed that Governor Fubara should humble himself and apologize to Wike to de-escalate the crisis, accusing Fubara’s supporters of hypocrisy.

“Those misleading him are spineless. They kneel before Wike privately but pretend to be fearless warriors in public,” Eradiri claimed.

INC also under fire for poor crisis management

The former LP candidate didn’t spare the Ijaw National Congress (INC) either. He criticized the organization for its handling of the Rivers crisis, warning against the ethnicization of political matters.

“The INC has embarrassed the Ijaw nation by supporting incompetent leaders. The institution must remain apolitical and stop massaging the egos of governors,” he warned.

He called on the INC to uphold its responsibility to represent all Ijaw people fairly and maintain neutrality in political affairs, reminding them that no individual holds a superior Ijaw identity over another.