Former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, has accused suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara of betraying not only his political supporters but also the people of the state, saying many residents were misled into supporting a cause whose objectives were never clearly explained.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Ewor said Rivers people rallied behind Fubara because they believed he was defending the state’s interests in the political crisis involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to him, many prominent figures, including women who organised prayer walks and public demonstrations, supported the governor because they believed he was acting in the best interest of the state.
“It is not just a betrayal of political supporters. We are talking about the people of Rivers State,” Ewor said.
“It is Fubara himself that has indeed betrayed Rivers people.”
Ewor said he was among those who openly criticised Wike at the height of the political crisis, believing the former Rivers governor was preventing Fubara from governing effectively.
However, he said he later realised that the situation was different from what many supporters had been led to believe.
“I said several unpretentious words against the FCT minister, believing that the FCT minister was stopping Fubara from doing his work. At the end of the day, we discovered that it wasn’t so,” he said.
The former PDP acting chairman accused Fubara of failing to communicate openly with Rivers people, arguing that greater transparency would have prevented many residents from taking political risks on his behalf.
“If Fubara was open and transparent, and communicated with Rivers people, I don’t think the women would have gone to the streets. I don’t think our leaders would have given him the level of support they gave, including myself,” he stated.
Ewor further argued that Fubara failed to define the purpose of the political struggle, leaving supporters uncertain about the governor’s true objectives.
“You can’t be fighting a war when the man leading that war is not on the same page with you. Rivers people wanted their state, but Fubara was on a different page.
“He didn’t define the objectives of the war. He didn’t tell Rivers people, ‘This is why I’m leading you into this fight and this is where we are going,’” he added.
Responding to questions about his apparent change of position, Ewor insisted his loyalty had always been to Rivers State rather than to any individual politician.
“My conviction was Rivers State. I believe governance should take place in Rivers State. That was my conviction, and Fubara was at the saddle,” he said.
The comments come amid ongoing political realignments in Rivers State following months of crisis between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which has continued to reshape the state’s political landscape.
(The Sun)