“Call Fubara Anything, What Rivers People Want Is Peace” – Sara-Igbe Tells Wike

A prominent chieftain of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Anabs Sara-Igbe, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to prioritize peace in Rivers State over political rhetoric. Responding to Wike’s recent comments describing the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as “his boy,” Sara-Igbe said the people of Rivers State are more concerned with stability than with labels.

Wike’s statement, made during a weekend interview, sparked significant reactions across the state. “That one is not a battle. He (Fubara) is my boy, he is my son. Why will I fight with him?” Wike had said, insisting he was not in conflict with Fubara but was targeting those he accused of seeking unearned benefits.

In response, Sara-Igbe emphasized that the nature of Wike and Fubara’s personal relationship was not the issue, but rather the urgent need for peace. “He may choose to address the Governor any way he likes. What Rivers people want is absolute peace. We are not interested in how he addresses the Governor. They are friends and have been working together for long,” he said.

Sara-Igbe called on the people of Rivers State to remain united and to focus on maintaining peace while supporting efforts to reinstate Fubara before the six-month emergency rule declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, 2025, comes to an end.

Commenting on Wike’s criticisms of political figures like Dr. Abiye Sekibo, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, and Celestine Omehia—whom Wike accused of misleading Fubara—Sara-Igbe noted that such tensions were unsurprising given their shared political roots. Wike had stated, “I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they did not work for. When you don’t defeat them, they will think they are in charge,” further accusing them of steering Fubara in the wrong direction.