Rivers Crisis: Again, protesters occupy Port Harcourt, vow to cause gridlock on New Year day

The political crisis rocking Rivers State has entered a worse stage as resident stage fresh mass protest in Port Harcourt today, while also promising worst scenario from January 1, 2024.

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Displaying placards, the protesters who started as early as 7am, are demanding, among other things, that President Bola Tinubu sack his Minister for Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Crisis is tearing to shreds the oil-rich state following conflict of interest between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his immediate predecessor, Wike.

The problem started small but soon snowballed into a major conflict that President Tinubu had to intervene.

It is that president’s intervention the Rivers people are protesting. Accusing Tinubu of ambushing Fubara in Aso Rock, prominent elder statesman from Niger Delta, Edwin Clark, had called for his people to reject the 8-point resolutions that arose from the Aso Rock reconciliatory meeting. Then more voices have since joined Clark.

Addressing journalists in front of the Government House on behalf of the protesters, a lawyer, David Uduru, called on the entire South-South region to be prepared to fight.

“Therefore, we urge all indigenes and residents in Rivers State to be ready for long-drawn, non-violent protest rallies in the state beginning from January 1, 2024,” Uduru said.

The lawyer also took swipe at Tinubu, accusing him of assisting Wike to destabilize Rivers State.

“Sadly, since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has chosen to forget that Rivers State is one of the critical economic hubs in Nigeria, and chosen Nyesome Wike over the peace and development of Rivers State, we the people of Rivers State have chosen ourselves and will therefore take the destiny of our State in our hands.

“We refuse to be cowed just to satisfy one man. The date to occupy Rivers State begins January 1 to January 30, 2024, at the first instance,” he added.

As it stands now, Nyesom Wike is completely in charge of Fubara administration as well as the political structures in Rivers. And he has already signaled his willingness to fight to retain his relevance, no matter the cost.

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