Founder of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and leader of the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has defended former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike while placing the blame for the ongoing political crisis on Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, Uwazuruike insisted that Fubara was responsible for his own predicament, stating that the crisis could have been avoided had he honoured his political agreement with Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
“Whoever advised Fubara to fight Wike, who made him governor, did not advise him well,” Uwazuruike wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.
He argued that political loyalty and agreements should be upheld, emphasizing that leaders must either commit to their promises or refuse to participate from the outset.
“If you know you are a politician and you are approached to do a dirty job which your conscience doesn’t want you to do at that moment, say ‘I won’t do it’ or ‘I can’t do it.’ That makes you a gentleman,” he added.
Uwazuruike also criticized Fubara for disregarding the advice of political figures such as former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
According to him, listening to experienced politicians could have helped Fubara avoid the current turmoil.
“All of these things happening in Rivers State could have been avoided if one party had kept his own part of the promise. This is very common in the Southeast and South-South.
“When someone brings you out of obscurity and makes you a governor, and you refuse to honor the agreement, it is not good,” he said.
He dismissed the argument that Fubara was elected solely by popular mandate, noting that political structures and party influence play significant roles in elections.
His words: “Some people will say you were voted in by the masses, but which masses? If nobody gave you the chance or the party ticket, the masses would not have had the opportunity to vote for you.”
Uwazuruike further accused Fubara of turning against Wike despite being elevated from his former civil service position.
“As a civil servant, the highest you could go is becoming a permanent secretary. Somebody brought you out and made you governor, and you turned around to make him the bad guy. It is unjust,” he stated.
