Wike, Fubara crisis had no link to Ijaw interest — Eradiri

…Hails emergence of Major Jack as coalition’s guber running mate

By Davies Iheamnachor

PORT HARCOURT — Former President of the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, Worldwide, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, has said the political crisis between former Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, was a political dispute within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and had no connection with the interests of the Ijaw ethnic nationality.

Eradiri stated this in a statement in Port Harcourt, saying he had expressed a similar position during the crisis but faced criticism from some Ijaw leaders whom he accused of attempting to benefit politically from the dispute.

He, however, commended Fubara for returning to his political camp, saying the crisis had caused divisions whose effects could take time to address.

“I appreciate Governor Fubara for going back to his political family. We warned, but they did not listen, and a lot of things happened that will be difficult to reverse.

“Some people wanted to score political points by trying to ethnicise the political crisis. The Rivers State crisis was a PDP crisis. It had nothing to do with ethnicity,” he said.

Eradiri also rejected the claim that Fubara’s emergence as governor represented a collective decision by the Ijaw people.

He said Wike did not consult the Ijaw ethnic nationality before choosing Fubara as his preferred successor.

“When Wike wanted to choose Sir Siminalayi Fubara as the governor, he did not call Ijaw people for a meeting. If he had called a meeting of the Ijaw ethnic nationality and announced his decision to make an Ijaw governor, I am sure Fubara would not have been the Ijaw choice.

“Ijaw people would have gathered to make a collective choice. Nobody knew Fubara in the political arena,” he said.

The former IYC president also rejected the narrative that Wike had become an opponent of the Ijaw people, recalling what he described as the minister’s support for the Ijaw community during and after the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“When President Goodluck Jonathan left power and there was heat, Wike was the one who stood solidly behind and supported the Ijaw people. And all of a sudden the same man was tagged an enemy of Ijaw people. I said no,” he said.

Eradiri also pointed to the appointment of people from the Niger Delta into positions under the current administration, arguing that some of the appointments were facilitated by Wike.

“When you look at some of the benefits the Ijaw has had in this administration, all the appointees in Abuja came through Wike and all of a sudden Wike has become an enemy of the Ijaw. How?” he asked.

He also faulted Fubara over the escalation of his disagreement with Wike, saying the former governor had played a significant role in Fubara’s political rise.

“Fubara should be faulted because Wike picked him from the NYSC level till where he is today. So, nobody should know Wike more than Fubara. For him to have started striking within one year of assuming office, it means he was playing with fire,” Eradiri said.

On the 2027 governorship election, Eradiri welcomed the reported emergence of Major Jack as the coalition’s Ijaw running mate and urged Ijaw stakeholders to support his candidacy.

“I was told that an Ijaw man, Major Jack, has been chosen as a running mate for the coalition governorship candidate and what we need to do is to rally round Major Jack to lead the front.

“We need an Ijaw political leader in Rivers now. And if Major Jack becomes the deputy governor in Rivers, he should become the rallying point for the people. He should start reaching out to douse the tension,” he said.

Eradiri, however, said Ijaw leaders could also consider other political options if they believed such candidates offered a stronger platform for the people.

“But if Ijaw leaders believe that we have the capacity, we have other parties and there is a consistent Lulu-Briggs who has been contesting. They should rally round him and back him so that we can have a contest,” he said.

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