Eradiri: Wike-Fubara crisis was not Ijaw struggle
Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, says the political crisis between former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, was a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dispute and should never have been portrayed as an Ijaw struggle.
Eradiri, who spoke on Sunday on the resolution of the crisis and the political future of the Ijaw in Rivers State, said attempts to ethnicise the dispute had damaged relationships between the Ijaw and other ethnic groups in the state.
Nathan Tamarapreye
Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, says the political crisis between former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, was a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dispute and should never have been portrayed as an Ijaw struggle.
Eradiri, who spoke on Sunday on the resolution of the crisis and the political future of the Ijaw in Rivers State, said attempts to ethnicise the dispute had damaged relationships between the Ijaw and other ethnic groups in the state.
He said he had been vindicated over his earlier position that the crisis was rooted in the PDP and the political relationship between Wike and Fubara, rather than in an ethnic contest.
Eradiri recalled that some Ijaw leaders attacked him when he expressed that position during the crisis, accusing them of attempting to exploit the dispute for political gain.
He commended Fubara for returning to his political camp but warned that the divisions created during the dispute would take time to heal.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Eradiri also questioned the claim that Fubara’s emergence as governor represented a collective choice by the Ijaw, noting that Wike did not consult the ethnic group before selecting his successor.
“When Wike wanted to choose Sir Siminalayi Fubara as 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,” he said.
He attributed part of the crisis to Fubara’s limited political experience before becoming governor, arguing that political office without adequate preparation could create serious challenges.
“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,” he said.
Eradiri also rejected the portrayal of Wike as an enemy of the Ijaw, recalling the former governor’s support for the ethnic group after former President Goodluck Jonathan left office.
“When President Goodluck Jonathan left power and there was heat, Wike was the one who stood solidly behind and supported the Ijaw people. And all of a sudden the same man was tagged an enemy of Ijaw people. I said no,” he said.
He argued that Wike’s political influence had also contributed to opportunities for Rivers people, including appointments to positions at the Federal Government level.
“When you look at some of the benefits the Ijaw has had in this administration, all the appointees in Abuja came through Wike and all of a sudden Wike has become an enemy of the Ijaw. How?” he asked.
The former IYC leader, however, said the Ijaw should critically assess the consequences of the crisis, particularly for those who became politically exposed by supporting Fubara.
“As at the time the governor was going back to his political family, he forgot the entire Ijaw people that were creating enemies because of him. How many Ijaw people in the struggle did Fubara appoint?” he asked.
Eradiri also faulted Fubara for allowing his disagreement with Wike to escalate, stressing that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory had played a significant role in Fubara’s political career.
“Fubara should be faulted because Wike picked him from the NYSC level till where he is today. So, nobody should know Wike more than Fubara. For him to have started striking within one year of assuming office, it means he was playing with fire,” he said.
Despite the resolution of the dispute, Eradiri said the political and ethnic tensions created during the crisis remained unresolved.
He maintained that the Ijaw still had a legitimate opportunity to seek the governorship of Rivers State but would need to rebuild alliances with other ethnic groups to achieve the objective.
“We have not settled the divide between the Ijaw and the power brokers in Rivers. We have created more divide. We have created hate and animosity.
“Let us not forget that the Ijaw people in Rivers State have not led Rivers. Ijaw people still have an opportunity to present their candidate,” he said.
Eradiri challenged Ijaw leaders who believe the ethnic group has the political strength to produce a governor to demonstrate it by sponsoring and supporting a candidate.
He said no ethnic group could single-handedly win the governorship of Rivers State, arguing that victory would require broad-based political alliances.
“Where are those Ijaw leaders that abused me? Why don’t they gather and sponsor a candidate in one of the political parties in Rivers since they think we have all the powers to make governor in Rivers?
“To make a governor in Rivers, you need all the ethnic nationalities to support you. We cannot stand alone and produce a governor in Rivers State. We need to build back those alliances,” he said.
He urged the Ijaw to repair strained relationships with other ethnic groups and reject the perception that the group could use intimidation to secure political power.
“We must resolve the tension between us and other ethnic nationalities. They should stop looking at Ijaw as intimidators. They think we feel we can intimidate our way into leadership. But it is not correct. Only a few persons created that idea,” he said.
On political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections, Eradiri urged the Ijaw to consider working with the Rainbow Coalition or consolidating their political structures behind an Ijaw candidate on another platform.
He welcomed the emergence of Major Jack as the coalition’s Ijaw running mate and urged the Ijaw to rally behind him as part of efforts to rebuild the group’s political influence.
“If Major Jack becomes the deputy governor in Rivers, he should become the rallying point for the people. He should start reaching out to douse the tension,” Eradiri said.
He also challenged Ijaw leaders who believe the group can independently produce a governor to support candidates in other political parties, citing Dumo Lulu-Briggs as an example.
“If Ijaw leaders believe that we have the capacity, we have other parties and there is a consistent Lulu-Briggs who has been contesting. They should rally round him and back him so that we can have a contest,” he said.
