Rivers crisis: Wike frustrating peace move, PANDEF tells Tinubu

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to submit to reconciliation and peace talks being brokered by the Forum.

PANDEF also threatened to disband the peace and reconciliation committee and withdraw from the peace initiative if Wike doesn’t make himself available for truce.

Daily Trust reports that the Rivers State governor, Similanayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Wike, have been at daggers-drawn over the control of politics and governance in the state.

Their feud has ignited political crisis which led to the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly in 2023.

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Sequel to the developments, PANDEF had constituted a peace and reconciliation committee chaired by former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, to intervene and return peace to the state.

But addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Attah, who is also the Chairman of Board of Trustees (BOT), was flanked by PANDEF chairman and other executives of the Forum, said Wike has refused to submit to peace talks.

“Since the President has thrown the ball back in our court, we intend to bring this impasse to his attention in the firm believe that he can intervene and cause his minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike to come to the negotiation table with PANDEF.

“It must be realised that it is not possible to clap with one hand and negotiations can only take place if the parties in dispute agree to make themselves accessible and available.

“Should this fail, PANDEF would have no other choice than to disband the peace and reconciliation committee and withdraw totally from any attempt to resolve this unfortunate logjam. Our fear, however, is that this could have catastrophic consequences.”

Chairman of PANDEF, Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, also expressed displeasure over Wike’s alleged labeling of PANDEF, as the “worst organisation” after its meeting with Tinubu, and urged the President to prevail on the minister to retract the statement.