A new layer of political intrigue is unfolding in Rivers State as loyalists of former governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, staged a dramatic boycott of a state-organised interdenominational church service marking the commencement of activities for Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Conspicuously absent from the service were members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, elected local government chairmen, and several political appointees widely regarded as protégés of Wike, installed under the former Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.).
Despite their absence, Governor Siminalayi Fubara stood tall at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s, Port Harcourt, where he joined clerics and faithful in prayers for Nigeria’s unity, peace, and progress. The service, organised by the state government, signals the kickoff of week-long activities to commemorate the nation’s milestone anniversary.
According to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Special Service Bureau, Sir Dede Friday, the celebrations will continue with a grand parade on Wednesday at the Sharks Football Stadium in Port Harcourt Township. Governor Fubara had earlier flagged off the commemorations on Friday with a Juma’at prayer service, reinforcing calls for reconciliation, peace, and progress across Rivers and the nation at large.
The boycott, however, underscores the deepening political schism in the state. It comes barely a week after Governor Fubara triumphantly returned to Government House on September 19, following the lifting of a six-month federal suspension that had stripped him of executive powers.
President Bola Tinubu’s decision to revoke the emergency rule imposed on September 17 restored Fubara to office, ending what many described as a political exile. The emergency declaration—triggered by a fierce standoff with the state legislature involving impeachment threats, budgetary blockades, and a security breakdown—was the first of its kind in Rivers since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
Now, as Rivers prepares to celebrate Nigeria’s independence, the absence of Wike’s camp at a state event signals that the political truce remains fragile, raising questions over whether peace can truly hold in the oil-rich state.
PIONEER NEWS 