Until he left for Bayelsa a few days ago many people didn’t know that the Governor of Rivers, Fubara and that of Bayelsa are good friends.
The turn of events happening in Rivers State, has shown how these 2 South South Governors have closed ranks and become best of friends. The story of how Rivers State suspended Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubura and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Senator Duoye Diri, became close friends, is now getting clearer. After the suspension of the former from office upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State, the embattled Rivers State governor, was spotted at Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital where it was rumoured that he went along with his immediate family on safe exile. Although, the suspended Governor Fubara resides in his private home at Port Harcourt, where he has been recieving guests and several people of diverse backgrounds, he rapidly built a cordial friendship with Governor Diri, quite unlike his predecessor Nyesom Wike who never established a harmonous relationship with Governor Diri, due to political differences.
First was the support Diri gave to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by aligning delegates from Bayelsa State in 2022 PDP Presidential Primary election to vote for Atiku Abubakar, irrespective of Wike’s infrastructural developmental project of hostels at Nigerian Law School at Yenagoa.
The moment Governor Sim Fubara, was sworn in as Executive Governor of Rivers State, he rectified relationship with Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri.
He has maintained good friendship with Governor Diri since then as he has paid more visits to Bayelsa State and donated cash towards development of Bayelsa State. Governor Fubara also has in the last 16 months constructed road projects connecting Abua/Odual Local Government Areas and Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State.
When the issue of political attacks on Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, an Eastern Ijaw man of Bayelsa State, a state that prides itself as the home of all Ijaws in Nigeria, being the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. The apex Ijaw National Congress INC and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) all made public statements in support of Fubara, condeming the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State which led to the suspension of Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu and the 31 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Vocal members of Pan Niger Delta Elder’s Forum PANDEF, such as High Chief Anabs Sara Igbe, a one time Spokesman of PANDEF, is among the supporters of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, so much so that they unequivocally rejected the 8-Points Presidential Proclamation cum Resolution of the crisis earlier in 2024. Rivers Elders under the leadership of people like High Chief Anabs Sara Igbe, took the matter to the Federal High Court Port Harcourt judicial division but they lost the matter before this Presidential declaration of March 18th 2025.
Emeka Amaefula
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