By Deborah Nnamdi, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s Opobo kinsmen have tasked him with taking measures to secure his return as governor of the state ahead of the 2027 election,
The Opobo Progressive Movement made the call on Monday in reaction to the statement by the Ogoni and Oyigbo People’s Assembly, which claimed that the Ogonis deserve to produce the next governor of the state.
OPM, in a statement in Port Harcourt by its President, Amb. Freedom Owujie condemned the call by OOPA, describing it as inciting and an attempt to reduce the place of Opobo people in the affairs of the state.
It read: “This is a direct disregard for His Excellency Fubara, and a clear attempt to diminish the importance of Opobo people in the dynamics of Rivers politics. We might be small in number, but we are not pushovers.
“Those who think they can stop an Opobo son from doing his eight years like others did, will be resisted by any means necessary.”
Owujie claimed that the source of worries for Ogoni was that after working against an Ijaw governor in the state in 2019, they (Ogonis) were not still considered for the hallowed office of the state.
“We are calling on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to use every power that comes with his office to stop these people. The Governor should do whatever it takes to weed off these detractors here and there who are hell-bent on distracting him. They must be stopped before they stop him.”
“Opobo people are known for their peaceful disposition, and we have been maintaining cordiality with our Ogoni neighbors despite several provocations, but if they continue to push us, we will react because the governorship of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara means everything to us,” the statement added.
