Supporters of Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, and Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, battled in Port Harcourt on Friday, causing some drama.
The incident happened at a town hall meeting that was attended by other Rivers natives and residents as well as supporters of both sides.
Attendees spoke in turns, sharing their opinions on the state’s political predicament. The trouble began when Bright Amaewhule, the President General of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), took the platform and said, “No Rivers State native will not acknowledge the role GDI played in the rise of Sim Fubara as governor of Rivers State.”
According to him, Even after Sim was turned away by those who claimed to be his siblings, GDI was the organisation that helped him gain acceptance from the people of Rivers State.
Hilda Dokubo, the chairman of the Rivers Labour Party, who was seated in the front row, said, “I can’t sit here and listen to this,” after the GDI president finished speaking. Later, the organisers persuaded her to take her place again.
Mr Kenwell Ibanibo, the following speaker, in response to Mr Amaewhule’s remarks, “deepened the drama, noting that while the comments of the GDI Chairman about their support for Sim Fubara to become governor were acknowledged, he asked what the offence of the suspended governor was that warranted the first impeachment attempt after just 5 months.
“The point is somebody somewhere who thinks he’s the owner of Rivers state, took this position and influenced the impeachment.”
At this moment, supporters of the FCT Minister led by Chibike Ikenga, the factional Rivers APC Chairman, interjected. They started remonstrating with Mr Ibanibo, who kept insisting, “you spoke; I didn’t interrupt you.”
Hot words were being exchanged by supporters of both groups, with a Wike supporter heard shouting, “insult Wike now! Una go still beg; una go still come lie down. Person wey lie down never stands up. You are talking!” To which the now-returned Hilda Dokubo fired back, “Him no go lie down! I say him no go lie down!” “No be Wike lie down for somewhere so!?”
As the melee went on, the anchor tried multiple times to regain control of the situation, appealing to everyone to take their seats. Even Mr Jake Epelle could be seen trying to calm frayed nerves as he appealed to the agitated individuals to sheath their swords. The tense situation even led to the bouncers coming into the hall and taking up strategic positions as they watched the tense situation.
After minutes of shouting and remonstration, Mr Ibanibo volunteered to temporarily leave the stage for peace to reign; this served to calm the tensions, and the town hall continued.
That wasn’t the end of it, though, as there was a terse exchange when popular Niger Delta activist Ann-Kio Briggs was interrupted by Mr Ikenga. She curtly shut him down, 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.”
Such incidents underscore the underlying tensions inside the state and the precariousness of the peace imposed by the emergency declaration.
The outcome of the current peace and reconciliation process is uncertain, but if present trends are any indication, it may still be some time off.
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