A former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe, has described the feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and his predecessor and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the attendant political tension in the state as unfortunate.

Mr Okupe, in an interview with journalists on Sunday, likened the feud to that of late Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Akintola, saying it could destabilise the nation if not quickly resolved.

“Going down memory lane, one is sad to note that the feud between Wike and Fubara is comparable to that between late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the then Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Akintola.

“As remote and limited this crisis was then, it was one of the precursors of the collapse of that republic,” said Mr Okupe.

He said the political crisis in Rivers has reached a level where it could seriously harm the nation’s democracy.

“It will be wise for the federal government and men of goodwill in Rivers and the entire nation to move in on this matter before it goes completely and uncontrollably out of hands,” Mr Okupe said.

According to him, it is clear that only a political solution, no matter how difficult it is to arrive at, can be effective in resolving all issues and all sides in the crisis.

Mr Wike and his successor, Mr Fubara, have been engaged in a political struggle over the control of the state for some months now, which has created tension in the state and polarised the state assembly.

The crisis worsened following the conduct of the October 5 council elections. The outcome led to the violent destruction of some council secretariats by political thugs.

On Thursday, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court’s decision nullifying the state’s 2024 budget signed into law and being operated by Mr Fubara, further creating uncertainty.

The N800 billion budget was passed in December 2023 by a faction of the state’s House of Assembly loyal to Mr Fubara and led by Edison Ehie.

(NAN)