Rivers crisis: PDP did not support Fubara, says Ologbondiyan

Kola Ologbondiyan, a former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party did not rise in support of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, over the political crisis in the state. 

Ologbodiyan spoke while appearing in a programme on Arise Television on Tuesday.

In recent months, Fubara has been locked in a political feud with Nyesom Wike, his successor and current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

The feud has polarised the Rivers house of assembly, with 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike and the rest belonging to Fubara’s camp.

The crisis has also created factions in the Rivers’ chapter of the PDP.

In April, Fubara rejected a list of the state’s PDP caretaker committee members.

The governor described the list as fake and threatened to arrest the caretaker committee members for forgery and impersonation.

The disputed list was said to have contained several party members loyal to Wike.

The PDP’s national working committee (NWC) promised to review the list after the governor’s complaint.

However, a few weeks later, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, claimed that the party could not review the contentious list due to a court order.

Reacting to the situation, Ologbodiyan said the party should have acted more in favour of Fubara.

“First and foremost, I have been in sympathy with Governor Fubara over the circumstances in which he finds himself,” the former PDP spokesperson said.

“When this crisis started, I did say that this party must rise in support of the governor, whether he intends to leave or not.

“As we speak, since he has not made a public declaration, the party must rise in his support. But the events that followed showed that the party did not rise in support of Governor Fubara.

“I recalled that at the last NEC meeting, Fubara rose and made a demand concerning the caretaker committee that was constituted in Rivers.

“He said he has issues with Rivers being listed among states that will have congresses since the issue of the party’s exco has not been resolved.

“The national chairman said they had agreed at the caucus level to find a political solution. Later, I read about cases in court that encumbered political solutions.

“But even as we speak, I don’t think the party has acted in favour of Fubara, even in a reconciliatory term.”