A town hall meeting convened on Friday in Port Harcourt descended into chaos as supporters of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and those of the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, clashed openly over the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The meeting, aimed at fostering dialogue among Rivers stakeholders, quickly turned contentious as different attendees took turns to voice their opinions.
The flashpoint, came when Bright Amaewhule, President General of the Grassroots Development Initiative, a pro-Wike political group, made claims about the group’s role in Fubara’s emergence as governor, report indicated on Friday.
“There’s no indigene of Rivers State that will not recognize the role GDI played in the emergence of Sim Fubara as governor of Rivers State. Before the campaign proper, we moved Sim from one local government to another, not the Honorable Minister,” Amaewhule said.
He added, “GDI was the group that propelled Sim into being accepted by the people of Rivers State even when he was rejected by the people who claim to be his brothers and sisters.”
These comments provoked immediate reaction. The state chairman of the Labour Party and a known Fubara supporter, Hilda Dokubo, stormed out of the hall in protest. “I can’t sit here and listen to this,” she exclaimed, though she was later persuaded to return by the organizers.
The meeting further spiraled when Kenwell Ibanibo, another speaker, challenged Amaewhule’s narrative and questioned the attempted impeachment of Governor Fubara just months after assuming office.
“I’ve heard the GDI Chairman say they supported Sim Fubara to become governor, but I’m asking you, what did he do to warrant the first impeachment attempt after just five months?” Ibanibo asked.
“The point is somebody somewhere who thinks he’s the owner of Rivers State took this position and influenced the impeachment.”
That statement drew sharp reactions from pro-Wike attendees, including factional APC chairman, Chibike Ikenga.
Shouting matches erupted across the hall, with a Wike loyalist yelling, “Insult Wike now! Una go still beg, una go still come lie down!” Dokubo retorted loudly, “Him no go lie down! I say him no go lie down! No be Wike lie down for somewhere so!?”
Attempts by the anchor and civil society leader Jake Epelle to restore calm proved challenging as the confrontation escalated. Security personnel were forced to take strategic positions as tensions ran high.
Ibanibo eventually offered to step off the stage to de-escalate the situation, allowing the meeting to continue.
However, tensions flared again when Niger Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, was interrupted by Ikenga while making her remarks.
She sternly rebuked him, saying, “I don’t know when you spoke, but I did not interrupt you. Please leave me be. If I don’t speak for you, I speak for myself.”
The incident underscores the deep divisions and simmering unrest within Rivers politics, despite ongoing reconciliation efforts.
With emotions still raw and political lines firmly drawn, observers fear that peace in the state remains fragile.
The outcome of the peace process brokered by the federal government remains uncertain as scenes like this cast a shadow on its viability.
The Punch
