Tensions between the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, seem to be ongoing as they recently engaged in a dispute over Fubara’s Ijaw identity. The disagreement began after Wike reportedly suggested that money and power can reveal a person’s true character while addressing the political crisis in Rivers State. At a book launch in Port Harcourt, the former Rivers State governor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had also mentioned that some people had claimed Opobo people were not Ijaw.
Fubara was unhappy with Wike’s comments and strongly asserted that Ijaw people are inherently strong and unwavering, and are not easily deterred by challenges or temptations. He emphasized that his Opobo people are an integral part of the Ijaw ethnic group and dismissed any claims to the contrary.
Fubara said, “There is speculation everywhere that Fubara is not a core Ijaw, that Fubara is a half-baked Ijaw. Ijaw is not complete without Opobo. So whoever is feeding you with that information should go back to their history classes. You can’t talk about the Ijaw struggle without the Opobo, the Bonny, and the Kalabaris. We had our own trade line at that time. And for you to occupy a trade line, it means you are a true Ijaw man. So, for the record, I’m a full-blooded, up to my bone, an Ijaw.”
Fubara’s comments come after a recent plot to impeach him, allegedly orchestrated by lawmakers loyal to Wike. However, the move was eventually shelved following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.