Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has distanced himself from any involvement in the recent pipeline explosions in the state, which led to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on Tuesday.
Tinubu had accused Fubara of failing to take action against militant threats to attack oil facilities in the state. He also criticised the governor for demolishing the Rivers State House of Assembly complex without rebuilding it.
Responding in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Fubara, through his press secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, attributed the President’s stance to a lack of accurate information from those responsible for briefing him.
“It is important to clarify that Governor Fubara has nothing to do with the threats by militants and also did not in any way ‘telegraph’ the reported attacks on any oil facility in the state.
“It is on record that the reaction of stakeholders in the Niger Delta, especially elders, chiefs, women, Ijaw National Congress, its youth wing, IYC, as well as militants, among others, was triggered by remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, in a live media chat, during which he dismissed Ijaws as a minority of the minorities and powerless in the Nigerian polity, saying that Ijaws are not the only ones that are militants and can blow up pipelines; that Ogonis, Ikwerres, and others are also militants and can as well blow up pipelines.”
Fubara noted that despite demands from Ijaw leaders and groups for an apology from Wike, the minister refused to offer one.
The statement further argued that Fubara had consistently prioritised the security of oil installations in Rivers State. It cited multiple instances where the governor had emphasised the need to protect critical oil infrastructure, including during the handover of an AW139 Helicopter to the Nigerian Air Force between March 3 and 13, 2025.
“He often recalled his pivotal role as a member of the Presidential Committee on the Protection of Oil Installations in the Region, and repeatedly emphasised the need to protect oil pipelines and other facilities in the state, urging his supporters and the people of the state to avoid acts capable of destabilising the state or sabotaging the nation’s economy.”
The statement highlighted Fubara’s contributions to enhancing security by investing in better welfare and equipment for security forces. It pointed out that the governor had provided accommodation, vehicles, gunboats, helicopters, and other critical resources to security agencies in the state.
His administration’s commitment to stability, the statement added, had contributed to increased oil production and revenue generation since May 29, 2023.
Addressing Tinubu’s claim that he demolished the House of Assembly chambers and failed to rebuild it, the statement argued that Fubara acted on expert recommendations.
“On the claim that the governor acted with impunity to demolish the Hallowed Chambers of the State House of Assembly and did nothing to rebuild the chambers 14 months after, it is on record that Governor Fubara acted based on professional advice and guidance.
“Let it be clarified that the former governor and now FCT minister repeatedly criticised the dilapidated and leaking Assembly Complex, and during the commissioning of the Assembly Quarters in August 2022, challenged the lawmakers to take responsibility for the poor state of the edifice, rejecting requests to rebuild it to ensure a conducive legislative environment for the lawmakers.”
The statement added that after the October 29, 2023 incident, the government opted to heed the lawmakers’ long-standing request for a new Assembly complex. It disclosed that the project is now nearly 80 percent complete.
The statement also accused Wike’s supporters of previous acts of violence, referencing their alleged role in attacking local government secretariats following the peaceful local government elections on October 5, 2024.
“It would be recalled that in the wake of the most peaceful and violence-free local government election in the state on October 5, 2024, the supporters of the FCT Minister violently attacked and razed facilities in some local government council secretariats without any reprisals from Governor Fubara’s supporters.
“It is also pertinent to draw the attention of security agencies to the fact that LGAs where those attacks were unleashed are the same places that have repeatedly witnessed violence perpetrated by detractors of the Governor Fubara-led administration.
“This is why it is important for the security agencies to focus on the real purveyors of violence, critically evaluate these incidents, and diligently undertake investigations to unravel the elements behind the crimes and bring them to justice without let or hindrance.”
