Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed sadness about having to accept the conditions the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, proposed to him to ensure his return as governor and for peace to reign.

According to a statement on Saturday, Mr Fubara disclosed this at a meeting with simplified stakeholders, without disclosing the conditions given during a meeting with his predecessor and President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday.

Mr Fubara said, “We have fought. I think, in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we need to do. At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace. I did say that there’s no price that is too big for peace — I meant it, and I’m still ready to follow it to the end.”

Acknowledging Mr Wike’s role in his emergence as governor in 2023, Mr Fubara stated that though he and Mr Wike are hurt by all that transpired during the crisis, he stressed that there is need for all parties to settle their differences for peace to reign.

He said, “Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn’t know the role he played. Nobody can wish away the risk he took. Yes, at a point we had our differences and if today there’s need for us to settle, please, anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it’s the right thing to do.

“So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one where both of you are sitting down together to say, “Yes, this is what we want. At this point, I’ve met him, and we have spoken. You can’t take away the fact that he’s hurt — he’s a human being. I also have my own share of pains too.”

Stating that as a family, their interest and that of the state was to support the president, he decried the projects that had been abandoned since his suspension, noting that, “progress we would have recorded and the areas that would have been developed. So, there’s need for this peace — that’s the truth.”

Mr Fubara who vowed not to abandon them, urged them to brace up because the sacrifice to be made to achieve total peace would be heavy, adding that without reconciliation which both had reached, there was no way progress could be made in the state. 

He added, “There’s no way the President can come in to save the situation. So, I want to appeal to everyone — I have accepted that we must accept this peace, no matter how it looks, no matter how you feel, we must accept it. Every one of us should understand that at this time, we’ve done our best, and what we need now is this peace so that we can grow. I know it’s difficult and heavy, but that’s the true situation.”