Immediate past governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned politicians in the state not to pull down the ladder with which they climbed to the top in apparent reference to the political crisis that has engulfed the state in recent months.
Wike who gave the warning on Sunday while hosting traditional rulers of Ogba land who visited him at his Port Harcourt residence to congratulate him on his 56th birthday, said the ongoing crisis in the state is not an ethnic war and should not be treated as such.
While addressing the monarchs, the former governor said he would listen to their advice as he was prepared to accept peace, but he however noted that people of the state did not vote based on ethnicity in the last governorship election.
“No politician will fold his hands and allow to be dragged down,” the Minister said.
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“In everywhere you are, even in the traditional institutions, there are rules. You can’t run away from them. In a political group, there are rules. You cannot say that because an Oba has emerged and then an Oba will not follow the rules of the traditional institution.
“No! An Oba will always obey the rules. So also in politics, there are things you must do and there are things you must not do.
“Don’t pull the ladder that you used in climbing. When you are coming down, the ladder may not be there. Also leave the ladder so that other people can also climb the ladder.
“I and my team would accept peace but we won’t allow ourselves to be dragged down because when we go down, who will protect our people? Who will talk about our own interests?”
The feud between Fubara and his erstwhile godfather over who controls the political structure of the oil-rich state has led to a political crisis which has threatened to spiral out of control with the state legislature already factionalised.
The crisis has seen no fewer than 10 commissioners who are believed to be loyal to the former governor resign from the governor’s cabinet, while 27 lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a result of the crisis.