Former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on Thursday pronounced incumbent Siminalayi Fubara as the political leader of the state.
Odili governed the oil-rich South-South state between 1999 and 2007 and is widely regarded as Rivers’ political godfather.
Whilst he had hitherto remained silent amid the ongoing feud between Fubara and his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, many have speculated that the latter enjoyed his backing.
However, the FCT Minister threw some jibes the way of the former Governor and his wife, Justice Mary Odili (rtd) while speaking at an event recently, fueling rumour that the two are no longer in the same camp.
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Meanwhile, Odili affirmed Fubara as the political leader in Rivers while speaking at the commissioning of a Primary Healthcare Centre donated by his PAMO Foundation in Ndoni, his hometown in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
While making the pronouncement, the erstwhile Governor said Fubara earned the title by having secured electoral victory both through the ballot and the courts.
He stressed the strategic importance of Rivers State, warning that if the state sneezes, the entire nation catches cold.
Odili urged Fubara to maintain awareness while discharging his duties to the Rivers people.
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Assessing the incumbent’s performance, the former Governor commended him for his giant strides in critical sectors within his first year in office, particularly focusing on the well-being of the people.
According to Odili, Fubara’s administration is in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda, notably in the health sector, following the recent launch of the Primary Healthcare Fellows scheme by the Federal Government.
Once allies, Wike and Fubara have been on the warpath since the latter rejected the seemingly overbearing nature of his predecessor who midwifed his emergence as Governor.
Recently, some state and national assembly lawmakers have pitched their allegiance with the Governor, swelling his camp considerably.