Wike-Fubara crisis was PDP affair, not Ijaw struggle, says ex-youth council president

The political turmoil between former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, was an internal matter for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not representative of an Ijaw ethnic struggle, according to Udengs Eradiri, a former President of the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide.

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I appreciate Governor Fubara for going back to his political family. We warned, but they did not listen, and a lot of things happened that will be difficult to reverse.

Eradiri asserted that he had been vindicated in his earlier stance, noting that some Ijaw leaders had attacked him for his position, believing the dispute offered them political advantages. He commended Governor Fubara for returning to his political family but cautioned that the crisis had fostered divisions and animosity that would require time to heal. Eradiri criticized the attempts by politicians to frame the dispute along ethnic lines, stating that such actions harmed inter-ethnic relationships within Rivers State.

"The Rivers State crisis was a PDP crisis. It had nothing to do with ethnicity," Eradiri declared. He also contested the narrative that Fubara's emergence as governor was a collective decision of the Ijaw people. Eradiri pointed out that Wike did not consult the ethnic group before selecting Fubara, suggesting that if a meeting had been held, the Ijaw might have chosen a different candidate.

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Some people wanted to score political points by trying to ethnicise the political crisis. The Rivers State crisis was a PDP crisis. It had nothing to do with ethnicity.

Furthermore, Eradiri suggested that Fubara's limited political experience prior to becoming governor contributed to the crisis. He warned that assuming political office without sufficient preparation can create serious difficulties, especially if ego interferes with learning. "Once you are not schooled politically and suddenly they give you a political office, it is usually difficult because you will use your first office to start learning how to play politics," he explained.

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When Wike wanted to choose Sir Siminalayi Fubara as the governor, he did not call Ijaw people for a meeting. If he had called a meeting of the Ijaw ethnic nationality and announced his decision to make an Ijaw governor, I am sure Fubara would not have been the Ijaw choice. Ijaw people would have gathered to make a collective choice. Nobody knew Fubara in the political arena.

Eradiri also refuted the characterization of Wike as an enemy of the Ijaw people. He recalled Wike's support for the ethnic group following the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, contrasting it with the recent negative labeling of the former governor.

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Once you are not schooled politically and suddenly they give you a political office, it is usually difficult because you will use your first office to start learning how to play politics. If you allow ego to enter, you won’t learn, but you will create more problems. That is what has happened in Rivers State.