A former Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa, Udengs Eradiri, has urged the suspended Governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, to shut his doors against those he called crisis merchants and step up his ongoing reconciliation moves.
Eradiri, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa, commended the suspended governor for heeding his earlier advice that he should kneel before his estranged benefactor and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, and beg him for forgiveness.
The former President of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) recalled that when he advised Fubara to beg Wike for forgiveness, some Ijaw leaders were opposed to it, adding, however, that he was glad that the suspended governor saw the wisdom in his position.
Eradiri, a former Commissioner for Youth and later Environment in Bayelsa, said amidst the ongoing reconciliation, Fubara must learn to keep enemies of Rivers who once surrounded him in abeyance.
According to him, there are those trying to make an ethnic case out of the crisis and the others choreographing most political mistakes of Fubara and supervising some of his alleged constitutional breaches without guiding him properly.
He said most of the people, who claimed to love the governor and offered him pieces of advice, were his real enemies because they were profiting from the crisis and would not want it to end.
Eradiri urged the suspended governor to re-establish his relationship with Wike and heed the directives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the process of finding lasting political solutions to the political crisis in the state.
He said if Fubara had been allowed by the ‘crisis merchants’ to implement the earlier peace agreement crafted by the president, whom he described as an old political warhorse, he would have avoided the political turmoil that almost led to his impeachment.
“Thank God that President Tinubu saved you through the declaration of emergency rule. This opportunity has offered you a second chance; please, do not bungle it.
“I was happy that you heeded my advice, got up from your comfort zone and initiated the reconciliation by first meeting with Chief Wike and apologising to him. You have done well, but you need to follow up this process.
“First, make yourself unreachable to those who will come and slow this process down and feed you with unsolicited advice to abort this reconciliation” he counselled.
Eradiri also appealed to the governor to rein in his supporters and stop them from actions capable of derailing the reconciliation process.
He condemned the recent walk-out by some women who he described as pro-Fubara on the First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu.
“Such an action is condemnable in the reconciliation process. It can derail and slow down the process of peace as well as cast doubts on the suspended governor’s sincerity to end the political crisis in the state.
“The suspended governor must rein in his supporters and stop them from all forms of protests capable of deepening the political discord in the state.
“He must be seen to walk his talk because every action of his supporters will be attributed to him,” he said.
The former governorship candidate also appealed to Wike, the suspended members of the state House of Assembly and other stakeholders in the minister’s camp to forgive Fubara and help him facilitate the reconciliation process.
(NAN)
