Tensions between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, seem not to have ended as both men have engaged in an exchange over the former’s Ijaw identity.
The dispute originated from comments made by Wike, who, while addressing the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, reportedly suggested that money and power can reveal a person’s true character.
The former governor of Rivers State, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had also, at a book launch in Port Harcourt, said that some persons had said Opobo people were not Ijaw.
Fubara took exception to Wike’s remarks, asserting that Ijaw people are inherently strong and unwavering, undeterred by challenges or temptations.
He further emphasised that his Opobo people are an integral part of the Ijaw ethnic group, dismissing any claims to the contrary.
Fubara said, “There is this speculation everywhere; Fubara is not a core Ijaw, Fubara is a half-baked Ijaw.
“Ijaw is not complete without Opobo. So whoever is feeding you with that information, should go back to their history classes.
“You can’t talk about the Ijaw struggle without the Opobo, the Bonny and the Kalabaris. We had our own trade line at that time.
“And for you to occupy a trade line, it means you are a true Ijaw man.
“So, for the record, I’m a full-blooded, up to my bone, an Ijaw.”
Fubara’s comments come following a plot to impeach him, allegedly orchestrated by lawmakers loyal to Wike. The move was, however, shelved following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
