The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has denied allegations by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that the Niger Delta organisation visited President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to seek favour from him.
Last Tuesday, the PANDEF delegation visited Mr Tinubu, during which they asked for his help in addressing issues in the region, including the feud between Mr Wike and the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
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The president told the delegation that there is a need for adherence to the rule of law in Rivers State to ensure lasting peace and prosperity.
On Wednesday, during a media chat, Mr Wike accused the Niger Delta group of visiting Mr Tinubu to seek favour from the president.
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‘It’s false’
But during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Chairperson of PANDEF, Godknows Igali, described the allegation as false.
A text of the press briefing was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.
At the briefing, Mr Igali, a former Nigerian ambassador to Sweden, said eminent South-South leaders, including the region’s most senior traditional rulers, former governors, senators and ministers, were part of the delegation.
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He said it was “highly regrettable and totally unacceptable” that Mr Wike would “exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing.”
The PANDEF chairperson said, contrary to the FCT minister’s accusation, the visit was held at the invitation of Mr Tinubu, adding that the meeting offered a platform for discussion of pressing issues of national and regional importance.
He said apart from the political crisis in Rivers, the meeting deliberated on other issues, including the need for presidential assent to the South-South Development Commission Bill and urgent infrastructure development in the region.
“PANDEF and the people of the South-South expect that these issues, which Mr President acknowledged with assurances of follow-up action, will be diligently pursued, leading to tangible progress in the near future,” Mr Igali said.
“It is, therefore, both shocking and unfortunate that, barely 24 hours after this significant engagement with Mr President – an engagement that rekindled hope for peace and stability – the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, held a media chat in which he launched an unwarranted and deeply inappropriate attack on PANDEF and its leadership.
“In his remarks, the honourable minister characterised PANDEF as ‘the worst organisation ever’ and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favours,” he said.
“These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.”
Rebuffing peace committee on Rivers crisis
Mr Igali said Mr Wike’s recent attitude has explained his continued refusal to engage the Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the PANDEF since October 2024 to address the Rivers crisis.
“While the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has demonstrated a willingness to engage with this committee, the Honourable Minister has consistently rebuffed all attempts to reach him by opening up at dialogue.
“Given his open hostility and dismissive attitude toward PANDEF, the organisation can no longer subject these esteemed senior Nigerians on a peace mission to such levels of disregard and disrespect,” he said.
Appeal to Tinubu over Wike
Mr Igali appealed to Mr Tinubu to prevail upon Mr Wike to “retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect” to the eminent individuals who visited the president.
“It is apt to remind that the minister does not own the Niger Delta, and his errant conduct should not be condoned,” he said, assuring that the group will continue efforts to ensure lasting harmony in Rivers State and the region.
Background on Rivers crisis
Messrs Wike and Fubara have been in a protracted face-off over the control of the political structures in Rivers.
The crisis has continued despite the initial interventions of Mr Tinubu and other South-South leaders.
The crisis later split the Rivers House of Assembly into two factions – 27 lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike and three to Mr Fubara.
Martin Amaewhule led the 27 lawmakers, while the three lawmakers were led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
However, the Supreme Court restored Mr Amaewhule’s position as the speaker, reinstated the others as legitimate members of the assembly, and nullified the local election organised by Mr Fubara’s administration.
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