Speaking at a service of songs in honour of the late elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Fubara addressed public expressions of support from attendees who continued to refer to him as “Governor” and called for his reinstatement.
“Can’t you see how better I look? Do you think I’m interested in going back there?” Fubara asked rhetorically. “My spirit has already left that place long ago,” he added, signaling a possible retreat from the bitter political standoff.
The memorial, organised by the Rivers Elders Forum, took a political tone as several speakers criticised the federal government's handling of the Rivers crisis, particularly the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025.
The emergency proclamation led to the suspension of Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire state legislature. In their place, President Tinubu appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator, effectively dissolving the elected government.
While calls for Fubara’s return echoed through the event, he urged restraint, describing such opinions as “personal” and cautioning against further escalating tensions. “Not everything is by ‘oshogbe,’” he remarked, invoking a local idiom to emphasize the need for non-confrontational approaches.
Fubara also suggested that some of his supporters’ well-intentioned actions may have inadvertently worsened his situation.
The crisis stems from a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Though a peace accord was brokered by President Tinubu in December 2024, it quickly unraveled.
The federal takeover has been widely condemned, with 11 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors filing a suit at the Supreme Court challenging its legality. They argue that the emergency rule undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
In response, the National Assembly filed a counter-motion, urging the court to dismiss the suit as lacking merit and procedural validity. Lawmakers also requested N1 billion in legal costs against the PDP governors.
As legal and political battles persist, Fubara’s emotionally charged remarks at the service have cast fresh doubt on his political future, raising questions about whether he will fight for reinstatement or walk away permanently from the governor’s office.
