Suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has attributed his ongoing political travails to what he described as “early independence,” reflecting on the challenges he has faced since assuming office in May 2023.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Fubara alongside his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, were suspended from office for an initial period of six months following a State of Emergency imposed on the State by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025, over prolonged political crisis.
However, about three months down the line, Fubara, addressing a crowd at a recent gathering in an undated viral video on social media, spoke candidly about his political journey and the turbulence that has characterised his time in office.
“This is my central place. We ran away one time, wanted independence before,” Fubara said. “We were not too mature and we wanted independence. We had to go through a lot of things. So maybe it is my early independence that is causing these problems,” he added, drawing laughter from the audience.
Fubara, who has been at the center of a long-standing political feud with his political god-father and immediate-past governor of the State, Nyesome Wike, appeared to suggest that his rush to break away from the latter and attain his political independence may have come at a cost.
“But I have learnt my lessons,” he continued. “They say independence is sweet, but it is just the garri drinking that is the problem. We thank God for everything.”
Though his comments were mostly cryptic and laced with humour, many observers see them as a veiled acknowledgement of the complex power dynamics that have influenced his administration since inception and his current travails.
