According to remarks made during an interview on Channels Television, Rivers elder stateswoman and women’s rights activist Annkio Briggs has cautioned President Bola Tinubu over the political implications of removing a governor who enjoys strong public support.…....
Briggs spoke about the ongoing political situation in Rivers State, particularly surrounding Governor Siminalayi Fubara and recent developments involving his movement from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
According to her, Fubara’s defection to the APC should ordinarily have strengthened the political position of President Tinubu and the ruling party because of the governor’s popularity among the people of Rivers State.
Briggs stated that Governor Fubara has enjoyed what she described as “organic support” from residents of the state since assuming office. She argued that such grassroots backing naturally represented a political advantage that should have benefited the APC following his alignment with the party.
In her words, “The organic support that the governor has enjoyed since he became governor would ordinarily have also been in the interest of the president the moment the governor moved over from PDP to APC.”
However, the activist expressed concern that the current political developments in Rivers State are creating uncertainty over whether the President and the APC will eventually benefit from the same level of goodwill that Fubara has built among the people.
She warned that sidelining or removing a governor who is widely supported by the public could increase political tension rather than promote stability within the state.
Briggs further suggested that political leaders should be cautious about actions that could be interpreted by the public as disregarding the wishes of the people. According to her, public support remains a critical factor in maintaining political stability and legitimacy.
Speaking further during the interview, she stated, “Now, what is playing out gives rise to doubts and assumptions that the president is going to enjoy what the governor has enjoyed. You can’t remove, or you shouldn’t remove, the governor that is wanted by the people and then assume that everything is going to be alright.”
