PDP Govs meet over Rivers Crisis as Tompolo, INC, Dagogo challenge Fubara’s suspension

Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathered in Ibadan, Oyo State, for a crucial two-day meeting to discuss key issues threatening the unity of the party, including the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

This development comes as former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, finally broke his silence nearly a month after the emergency declaration, assuring that Governor Fubara would return to his position.

Meanwhile, a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has dragged President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to court over the controversial suspension and declaration.

Also reacting to recent events, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) condemned the destruction of billboards and portraits of the suspended governor in parts of Rivers State, describing it as a deliberate attempt to provoke unrest.

The PDP governors, it was gathered, are planning to take their legal battle with the Federal Government to the Supreme Court. The case will challenge both the legality of the state of emergency and Governor Fubara’s suspension.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed that the meeting began in Ibadan yesterday and will end today. A source noted that discussions will also cover the Supreme Court judgment on the National Secretary’s position, preparations for the next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the leadership crisis in the South-South, and other pressing internal matters.

During his 54th birthday celebration at Aziza Temple in Gbaramatu, Tompolo said, “I have sat on the throne of my father, and all that is lost will return to glory. The Ijaws will never be a conquered people. If the Ijaws choose to go to war, the heavens will join us. I have never fought a battle and lost.”

He added, “Let’s continue to support President Tinubu; he will bring all the good things we desire to the Ijaw Nation. He is not a bad person. On the issue of ward delineation, we and the Itsekiris are not at war. They know the truth. Gbaramatu town of Omadino is 40 years older than all Itsekiri communities. Why fight someone older than you? They also know that if you combine all the Itsekiri towns, they don’t match the population of Okerenkoko. So, INEC has only exposed the truth.”

Speaking on the Rivers crisis, Tompolo said, “Because I’ve not spoken, they say I’ve betrayed the Ijaw Nation. But I cannot betray my people. I’ve spent my life fighting for Ijaw. However, we’ve moved past the stage of replying to Wike’s kind of statements—we are no longer on that level.”

In another development, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled May 12, 2025, to hear the suit filed by Dr. Farah Dagogo against the President and other top officials regarding the suspension of Governor Fubara and lawmakers. The court granted an order for substituted service due to the difficulty in serving the defendants directly. The suit, filed on April 8, includes President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Vice Admiral Ibas as respondents.

Meanwhile, the INC voiced strong displeasure over the defacing of Governor Fubara’s images on billboards across Rivers. Its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, described the act as barbaric and politically motivated.

He said, “It is unacceptable to pull down the billboards of a governor who was unlawfully suspended. The Sole Administrator must act professionally by removing the illegally appointed local government administrators. Their appointments are unlawful.”

The INC warned that the removal of the governor’s images and other related actions appear to be a calculated attempt to provoke Governor Fubara’s supporters into violence so as to justify the state of emergency.

According to Okaba, “When an illegality is introduced, it often leads to more illegality. The declaration of the emergency and the imposition of a sole administrator is unconstitutional. Despite national and international concern, the Federal Government has refused to listen. The governor was not impeached, only suspended, so why are they removing anything connected to him?”

He added that the sole administrator was clearly told not to make laws, yet he has made appointments and plans to prepare a new budget, actions which many believe are heavily biased.