At a special event to honour a respected elder, Chief Edwin Clark, something surprising happened. People at the event kept calling Siminalayi Fubara “Governor” and asked for him to be brought back into office. But Fubara said something unexpected: he might not want to return to the job.
Fubara, who was suspended as Governor of Rivers State after a big disagreement in the government, spoke honestly to the crowd in Port Harcourt. He smiled and said, “Can’t you see how better I look? Do you think I’m interested in going back there?” He also added, “My spirit has already left that place long ago,” which means he no longer feels connected to the job.
The event, held by the Rivers Elders Forum, was supposed to be a peaceful service to celebrate the life of Chief Edwin Clark. But it turned political when many speakers criticised the federal government, especially President Bola Tinubu, for interfering in the state’s affairs.
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025. He said there was a big problem in the way the state was being run. Because of this, he suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire state assembly. He then put a retired Navy chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, in charge of the state. This meant the state was no longer run by elected officials, but by someone chosen by the President.
Many people, especially some governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not agree with this decision. 11 PDP governors went to the Supreme Court and said the President’s actions were not fair and hurt democracy. But the National Assembly (Nigeria’s lawmakers) said the court should cancel the case. They said the PDP governors were just making trouble and even asked the court to make them pay N1 billion for wasting time.
At the event in Port Harcourt, Fubara told his supporters to stay calm. He said not everything should be about fighting or shouting, using the local word “oshogbe” to explain that peace is better than anger. He also warned that some of the things his supporters did, even though they meant well, may have made things worse for him.
The political problems in Rivers State started after Fubara had a falling out with the man who helped him become governor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). President Tinubu tried to fix the problem in December 2024, but the peace deal didn’t last.
Now, with Fubara saying he may not want to return, people are wondering: Will he fight to become Governor again, or will he walk away from it all? The answer remains unclear.
