Rivers: Tensions escalate as town hall meeting between Wike, Fubara supporters goes south

A town hall meeting in Port Harcourt saw heated altercations between supporters of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike.

A path for peace and reconciliation in the state was supposed to be provided during the conference, but tense discussions between the two sides interrupted it.

Join our WhatsApp group

Along with other Rivers State citizens and indigenes, the event brought together supporters of both sides with the goal of promoting communication in order to address the state’s ongoing political problems.

It all started when Bright Amaewhule, the president general of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), said that “no Rivers State native will not acknowledge the role GDI played in the emergence of Sim Fubara as Governor of Rivers State.”

He claimed that it was GDI’s work, not the Minister’s, that ensured Fubara’s popularity among the populace and credited them with bringing him across local governments during the campaign.

Amaewhule further claimed that some of the people who later surrounding Fubara told him to disregard the political party that had elected him, which fuelled the confrontation.

Visibly offended by Amaewhule’s comments, Hilda Dokubo, the chairman of the Rivers State Labour Party, bounded out of the auditorium in protest, declaring, “I can’t sit here and listen to this.” The organisers eventually convinced her to come back.

Verbal exchanges escalated, with a Wike supporter shouting, “Insult Wike now! Una go still beg, una go still come lie down. Person wey lie down never stand up, una dey talk!” Hilda Dokubo, who had returned to her seat, responded fiercely, “Him no go lie down! I say him no go lie down!”