Following his reinstatement as Rivers State Governor after a six-month suspension, Siminalayi Fubara’s public actions and statements are drawing widespread attention and commentary. The suspension, declared by President Bola Tinubu amid a protracted political conflict in the state, saw the appointment of a sole administrator for the period. Fubara’s conduct, which has been characterized by some observers as overly deferential to his predecessor and current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, is being likened to a manifestation of “Stockholm syndrome.”
The Governor has publicly thanked President Tinubu for the intervention and praised Wike as his “political leader,” despite the FCT Minister’s open boasting that he could have prolonged the state of emergency. Immediately after the suspension was lifted, Fubara traveled to Abuja to meet with President Tinubu, reportedly to thank him and seek guidance on avoiding future political crises in the state.
The political tensions are heightened by the clear allegiance of all 23 local government chairmen and the 32 members of the State House of Assembly to Nyesom Wike. Critics argue that this arrangement, coupled with reports that Fubara’s control over his own administration is severely limited, effectively means Wike remains the de facto power in the state. Commentators suggest Fubara’s acquiescence is destroying the constitutional significance of the office of the governor, even as the search for a lasting and democratic solution to the state’s power struggle continues.
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