By Abiola Olawale
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has urged political leaders in Rivers State, including Governor lSiminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, to prioritize peace and draw lessons from the state’s recent past.
Following the end of the six-month emergency rule in Rivers, Obi urged political “gladiators” in the state to learn from the six-month emergency rule.
Obi, who described the emergency rule as a constitutional breach that harmed Nigeria’s democracy, called on Fubara, state lawmakers, and other leaders to move beyond the mistakes made in the past and work toward reconciliation.
This comes after President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday announced the end of the emergency rule in Rivers state, paving the way for the resumption of Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the members of the state House of Assembly.
Reacting on his X handle on Thursday, Obi, a two-term governor of Anambra State said: “I just hope that some lessons were learned by all the gladiators in the Rivers State impasse. Great minds remind us that the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
“A true leader is the one who admits his/her mistakes, is smart enough to learn from them, and is strong enough to correct them.”
Obi congratulated “the good people of Rivers State for their endurance in the face of provocations.
“The real mistake is the one where we end up learning nothing. Be assured that a new Nigeria is possible and inevitable,” he added.
The New Diplomat reports that the controversy in Rivers State escalated after a power struggle between incumbent Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Following the escalation of the political crisis, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, Odu, and the members of the House of Assembly.
Tinubu then appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
