Elder statesman Edwin Clark stated that he has recommended to President Bola Tinubu that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State should be allowed autonomy to manage the affairs of his state.
The Ijaw leader commented on the conflict between Fubara and Nyesom Wike’s appointee, which has deeply affected Rivers State recently. This crisis has divided the state assembly, prompting many of Wike’s appointees under Fubara to resign.
“I have advised President Tinubu to allow Fubara autonomy in governing, while Wike should focus on his duties in Abuja,” Clark told The Punch. “If this is achieved, peace and stability will return to the state. However, any deviation from this could disrupt the country’s economy.”
Clark, 97, noted that attempts by elder statesmen like himself to mediate have faltered due to Wike’s insistence on controlling the state’s political structure.
“How can reconciliation occur when one party claims independence and the other asserts authority?” he questioned. “Wike believes he still commands Rivers State’s political machinery, although these structures have existed through successive governors. They aren’t owned by one person, and Wike wasn’t around when Rivers was established.”
Clark criticized Tony Okocha, the APC’s Caretaker Chairman in Rivers State, for advocating a state of emergency, stating, “Okocha is misguided. Who is he to demand such action? He only holds his position due to the dissolution of the previous Rivers APC executives. He was closely associated with Amaechi during his tenure and later aligned with Wike, becoming the APC chairman in Rivers State. Okocha’s actions are contributing to the state’s fragmentation.”
In conclusion, Clark lamented, “These individuals are destabilizing Rivers State.”
