Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has sparked outrage with his blunt advice to suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, urging him to kneel before Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and beg for forgiveness. Eradiri accused Fubara of incompetence, claiming he is the architect of the ongoing political unrest in Rivers.
Addressing the crisis that has paralyzed governance in Rivers since late 2023, Eradiri said Fubara’s failure to lead effectively is what triggered the fallout with his predecessor, Wike, and warned against dragging ethnic sentiments into what he described as a purely political miscalculation. “Let him not involve the Ijaw nation in his personal issues. He has done little or nothing to deserve Ijaw backing,” he declared.
Eradiri questioned Fubara’s loyalty to the Ijaw cause, asking how many Ijaw sons and daughters have been empowered under his administration. He challenged the governor to show any significant appointments or support for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in Rivers, accusing him of trying to weaponize ethnicity only now that he is cornered.
The former LP candidate didn’t mince words, saying, “Those deceiving Fubara are cowards. Behind closed doors, they kneel and beg Wike, but in public, they pretend to be Ijaw lions.” According to him, the only path to peace is submission—Fubara must swallow his pride and reconcile with Wike.
Eradiri also blasted the Ijaw National Congress (INC) for what he sees as its partial and emotionally driven involvement in the Rivers impasse. He said the body has compromised its neutrality and allowed itself to be used in a fight that has nothing to do with the collective Ijaw interest, calling their approach “embarrassing and counterproductive.”
He warned INC leaders not to reduce the organization to a political tool for serving governors. “Once INC begins to massage the egos of governors, it loses respect and becomes ripe for mockery,” he said, adding that no one Ijaw man is greater than the other, and the group must rise above personal allegiances.
With Rivers State still gripped in political tension and the FCT Minister silent on reconciliation, Eradiri’s comments have ignited another layer of debate over the Fubara-Wike saga. While some view his words as harsh truth, others believe his remarks fuel the fire at a time when Rivers needs resolution, not provocation.
