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Samuel Nwanosike, the former Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State, has dismissed Governor Siminalayi Fubara's claim that he knelt to beg his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to end the ongoing political feud.
Rivers has been in the spotlight all week over the spate of violence that erupted in not less than four local government areas in the aftermath of last Saturday's council elections.
Rampaging hoodlums ransacked secretariats in Eleme, Ikwerre, Emohua, and Ahoada East LGAs, destroying buildings in the three aforementioned councils, while sporadic gunshots rented the air in the latter over attempt to resist the newly elected council officials.
Reacting to the development in an interview on Monday, October 7, 2024, Fubara said he had done everything humanly possible to restore peace to the oil-rich state, including kneeling to beg his predecessor.
The Governor also stated that he had kept all understanding with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister to ensure peace in Rivers but to no avail.
“There is nothing I have not done on this earth for peace to reign. I can tell you the number of times I have knelt to beg that let’s allow this issue to go. I have done everything,” he said.
Nwanosike counters Fubara's claim of kneeling for Wike
However, Nwanosike countered Fubara's claim, stating that the Governor has continued to contradict himself every time he speaks on the crisis in the state.
The former LG boss, a Wike loyalist who is currently abroad for a study programme, spoke on a TVC's Politics Today programme on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
He said though he displays a gentle and meek personality on the outside, the governor is quite the opposite deep inside.
He noted that Fubara had vowed not to beg anybody and that he would go to any length to quash his opponents, even if it required him to do the unthinkable.
''He pretended that he was gentle. He pretended that he was meek. Meanwhile, deep inside, he's worse than the rascals that we know. How can the governor come and tell people that he knelt down to beg Wike, it's a lie from the pit of hell.
''That Governor that told you that jungle has matured. That Governor that told you that you should cock the gun and eliminate people. That same governor that said he has bought rat poison to kill the rats that is eating the bag of beans. The same governor that told you that he will do everything, even if it means doing anything that he would do to make sure he will not kneel down to beg anybody. He said so. Maybe he's forgetting the things he's saying,'' Nwanosike said.
The former council chairman said the only path to restoration of peace in Rivers is for the Governor to embrace the rule of law and obey court orders regarding local government elections in the South-South State.
''I said it's not true, the governor is deceiving you and other Nigerians. The Governor, if he wants peace, doesn't need to go and beg Nyesom Wike. What is his role in the election? He's in Abuja, did he come home? No.
''What the governor should have done is to say, okay the Federal High Court has given a judgement, I will appeal the judgement. Go to court of appeal. The court of appeal will rule in one way or the other. Maybe they rule against him or they rule in his favour. If they rule in his favour, you go ahead with the process. If they rule against him, he still has the Supreme Court to go to. So why become desperate in public service?'' he added.