Fubara Will Have ‘Zero’ Powers When Reinstated as Governor – Tonye Cole

Tonye Cole, a top member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State will have no real powers when he returns to office after his suspension.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Cole said Fubara would face serious challenges and would not be able to make decisions independently.

Cole, who was the APC’s governorship candidate in Rivers State in the 2023 elections, said it’s troubling that a major state like Rivers has a governor who cannot fully perform his duties.

“We cannot have an elected governor of an important state like Rivers, and yet he has zero powers. That’s not good for the state or for Nigeria,” Cole said.

“It’s a very tough situation. In Nigeria, governors often choose successors they believe will continue their plans. But once that new governor starts ruling without interference, things move forward.

“However, when the former governor keeps trying to control things, we often see conflicts between the so-called godfather and godson. These fights harm democracy and hurt the people the most.”

He added, “As things stand now, the governor is not in a position to make any decisions, and that’s a big problem.”

Cole advised Governor Fubara to try and make peace with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who is believed to have a strong influence over him.

“If I were him, I would sit down with the Honourable Minister and ask for some freedom to make decisions as governor, while other matters can be handled by Wike, depending on whatever peace deal they agreed on,” Cole said.

He added that the details of the peace agreement between Fubara and Wike are not public, so it’s hard to know how much power Fubara still has.
Source: Channels