•President not ready for peace in Rivers—Prof. Okaba, INC president
•This is an ambush for PANDEF leaders—Akene, development consultant
•PANDEF already compromised—Gbemre, N’Delta activist •Directive gratuitous — Nwoko (SAN)
•President should invite Fubara and 27 lawmakers as he did for Lagos lawmakers

By Emma Amaize, South-South Regional Editor, Sam Oyadongha, Egufe Yafugborhi, Chioma Onuegbu, Dan Abia, Emem Idio, and Ochuko Akuopha

Opinions have been divided in the South-South geopolitical zone since Tuesday when President Bola Tinubu commanded the leaders of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), who visited him in Abuja, to return and tell the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to tow the path of peace in the political crisis between him and the Federal Capital Minister, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The former military governor of the old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, and the ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, who are the co-chairmen of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of PANDEF, led the group’s delegation to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The national chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, attended.

PANDEF is the umbrella body of the traditional rulers, leaders, and stakeholders of the coastal states of the Niger Delta, convened by the former Federal Commissioner for Information, Senator Edwin Clark, who was its National Leader until his demise last month.

President Tinubu directed the leaders, who deferentially requested his fresh intervention before the feud snowballed into a full-blown crisis, to return home and advise Fubara to obey the Supreme Court’s judgment. He added that he told the governor, who visited him earlier on Monday, to tow the path of peace. The President had said at the meeting: “This is a nation governed by the rule of law. I should not be here as president without the rule of law. I have total confidence in our judiciary.

We have expectations. Human beings can make errors. But once the court has spoken, that is it. Human beings can make errors. But once the court has spoken, that is it. Please go back home and help implement the court rulings within the shortest possible time. I am putting the ball in your court. Help, privately and openly intervene, and counsel the governor. Pursue the path of peace and stability.”

Apparently, because of the president’s disposition, Fubara returned to the state and initiated a failed bid to represent the 2025 Budget to the House of Assembly. Still, a seeming communication gap, grand standing and ego problem between him and the lawmakers stalled his Wednesday move.

Fubara has employed some strategies to execute the president’s directive without bruising himself more, as he awaits the South-South leaders, whom President Tinubu has given his imprimatur to further mediate between him and Wike to ensure an amicable settlement of the political crisis.

However, Tinubu’s deportment on the matter in full glare when he played host to Niger-Delta leaders has caused a stir in the oil-rich region.

Tinubu has taken side with Wike — Prof. Okaba, INC president
The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, who fumed at the President’s demeanor said members of PANDEF who went to Abuja “felt so ashamed of themselves the way Tinubu addressed them.” He said by the President’s “un-presidential statement,” he showed no commitment for peace in Rivers State.




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/rivers-political-crisis-tinubus-directive-splits-south-south-leaders/