Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has officially disbanded all his socio-political support organisations, most notably the widely influential Simplified Movement in a significant gesture aimed at fostering peace across the state.
Announcing the decision during a meeting on Saturday in Port Harcourt with his political family, including former Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, ex-cabinet officials, local government chairpersons, elders, women, and youth leaders.
Fubara explained the gravity of the move: “The sacrifice for total peace will be heavy,” he told the gathering, urging supporters to embrace the decision in good faith.
The announcement follows a major peace negotiation brokered less than a day earlier by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja, bringing together Fubara, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State House Speaker Martins Amaewhule, the first meaningful step toward resolving the ongoing political impasse in the state.
At the Simplified Movement’s office, Fubara reassured attendees that the decision was made with collective interests at heart, emphasising the need for peace, stability, and developmental progress:
“I cannot abandon you people. This is the time for me to prove that I care for you. I make a commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody. But the sacrifice we must make to achieve total peace will be heavy, and I want everyone to prepare for it.”
He acknowledged the disappointment and anxiety the peace agreement may provoke among loyalists but noted that leadership often requires difficult choices for the greater good.
Fubara lamented the crisis’s toll on governance and development across Rivers State, expressing optimism that reconciliation would rejuvenate stalled projects.
He also acknowledged Wike’s early contributions to his political rise:
“Nobody can take away the role the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, played. That’s the truth,”
“Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody can wish away the risks he took.” he added.
Calling for unity, he posed a rhetorical question to his followers:
“If we believe we are one family and that our interest is to support the President, then what’s the issue? If you say you’re with me, this is the time to prove it. Because it’s not even about me; it’s about the overall interest of the state.”
Fubara closed with a local metaphor to underscore the need for patience and humility:
“In my place, there’s a fish called Atabala — you call it Tilapia. The mother Tilapia tells the young ones, ‘If you want to grow as big as I am, you must hide your head in the mud.’ We’ve done our best. What we need now is peace so we can grow.”
