By Abiola Olawale
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has expressed its willingness to work with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, signaling a likely shift in the ongoing political crisis that has gripped the oil-rich state.
This development comes as the timeline stated in President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency declaration in March is gradually coming to an end.
With the likely reinstatement of Fubara looming, the Rivers state APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, said the party is willing to work with the Governor and restore peace to the state.
Okocha made the declaration during a news briefing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Tuesday.
Okocha assured all that the APC would continue to consolidate on its membership base while also offering constructive criticism of the Fubara administration after his return.
He said: “The governor who was suspended will return to office on September 18. The APC will work with him when he returns.
“There are states where the governor and assembly members are in different parties, so we are going to work with him.
“However, that will not take away our right to criticise him when he does wrong. But for us, the LG chairmen will work with him, except that we will not agree to vicious policies.”
Okocha described the just-concluded local government elections in the state as an introduction to the 2027 general elections, noting that the APC deliberately chose not to field candidates in strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party but concentrated on areas where it had a comparative advantage.
“The Rivers State LG election is a prelude to what will happen in 2027.
“Whilst we were campaigning, I told our people that there is a need for us to believe in the centre and leave the periphery.
“We did not field candidates in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGAs because we do not have the strength in those areas.
“It was our own calculated strategy not to field candidates in those LGAs and concentrate only where we have a comparative advantage. Remember that Rivers State was a PDP state.”
The New Diplomat reports that Fubara was suspended from office by Tinubu on March 18, following the latter’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State arising from political tensions in the state.
The President proceeded to appoint a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana and erstwhile Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as Administrator of the state for an initial six-month period.
Recall also that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, last Saturday declared that the ‘coast’ was now clear for Fubara to be reinstated after casting his vote in the just concluded local government elections in Rivers State.
