Ijaw people won’t abandon Fubara, says group

A socio political group, Ijaw Unity Vanguard (IUV), says Ijaw people of Rivers state will never abandon their son, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state for whatever reason.

The group declared that abandoning Fubara was unthinkable for the Ijaw people, having waited for 24 years to have a governor of Rivers of an Ijaw extraction and given the position of the apex Ijaw socio-political organisation, Ijaw National Congress (INC), which is binding on every Ijaw man and woman.

IUV, in a statement, signed by Dagogo Tamuno-Idah, its president, reacted to what it called a misrepresentation of facts by some persons regarding a communique of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress on the political crisis in Rivers state.

“Our attention has been drawn to the false narrative by promoters of former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the recent position of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress.

“The promoters of Wike erroneously claim that the Ijaw people have abandoned their son and current Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

“These reckless and misguided elements specifically sight the communique of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress, read by the President of Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress, Senator George Sekibo after an extraordinary meeting, held on Saturday, June 1st, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“For the records, the extraordinary ordinary meeting of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress was not a referendum between Governor Fubara and the FCT Minister.

“Therefore, there is no way the Ijaw people in Rivers State would have pitched tent with Wike over their son, Governor Fubara.

“It is necessary to remind the falsehood merchants that, Ijaw people waited for 24 years to have their own as governor of Rivers State.

“Why then would Ijaw people suddenly abandon Governor Sim, an Ijaw man, within a year for a man (Wike) who was declared an enemy of the Ijaw nation in 2022 by the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC)?

“We invite them to take note of resolution of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) in their meeting of Tuesday, June 04, 2024, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, wherein the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) resolved not the abandon their son, Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the Rivers political crisis.

“The INC President, Benjamin Okaba, clearly stated the position of the Ijaw people, and that position is sacrosanct and binding on every Ijaw man or woman, young or old, irrespective of his/her political or religious affiliation as well as social status.

“Finally, we want the world to know that, Ijaw people are not sellouts, we will never betray our own, no matter the offer,” Tamuno-Idah stated.