Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Friday said his choice to embrace what critics term “weakness” was a deliberate move aimed at preserving peace and ensuring political survival, as he dedicated his Man of the Year award to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara spoke in Lagos while receiving the award at the New Telegraph Award/Dinner Night, where he offered an emotional account of his leadership journey amid months of political turbulence in the state.
Describing the occasion as significant, the governor acknowledged the sacrifices of his supporters.
“Today is special for me and for everyone who believed in me. I know that in believing in me, you also shared in certain pains,” he said.
Reflecting on the protracted political crisis that trailed his administration, Fubara noted that his approach had been interpreted in different ways.
“Some describe those pains as weakness; others say it is strength. But I chose, for many reasons, to appear weak — weak because I want peace, weak because we must survive, weak because I have to protect what is dear to me and to our nation,” he stated.
He added, “Weakness is a virtue; it yields results at the appropriate time.”
The governor thanked his family and residents of Rivers State for what he called their restraint and maturity throughout the period of uncertainty.
He, however, stirred political debate when he publicly dedicated the award to Wike, his predecessor and political benefactor.
“I don’t mind how it is interpreted. I dedicate this recognition to the man who discovered me, regardless of the situation — the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. He discovered me, and that discovery gave me this voice,” Fubara declared.
His remarks come amid indications of a thaw in relations between the two leaders following intervention by President Bola Tinubu.
Wike had earlier expressed optimism about reconciliation efforts, saying the President had shown fatherly concern in resolving differences between the executive and legislative arms in the state.
The rift between Fubara and Wike, which began shortly after the governor assumed office in May 2023, plunged the state into months of political uncertainty, deepened divisions within the House of Assembly and sparked impeachment threats.
Recent moves, including the reported submission of a fresh list of commissioner-nominees to the Assembly, signal efforts to restore stability in the oil-rich state.