The Pan-Niger Delta Forum has formally stepped into the lingering political crisis in Rivers State, with the chairman of its reconciliation committee, Chief Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN, urging key actors to embrace sacrifice, humility and forgiveness in the interest of peace and stability.
Agabi, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, made the appeal while addressing stakeholders on behalf of the PANDEF Reconciliation Committee, as efforts intensify to arrest the deepening rift that has polarised the state’s political leadership and disrupted governance.
He called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and other influential actors to rise above personal grievances and place the collective wellbeing of the state above political power struggles. According to him, the crisis has lasted too long and now poses a moral and political test for all concerned.
Agabi warned that Rivers State, given its strategic economic importance, vast natural resources and human capital, is too critical to Nigeria to be allowed to drift into prolonged instability. He cautioned that unresolved internal conflicts often create openings for external interference that may not align with the interests of the people.
He expressed confidence that peace remains achievable, noting that the principal actors were once political allies who worked together to build the existing power structure in the state. He urged those who may have been wronged to show the courage to apologise and those offended to extend forgiveness, stressing that reconciliation, rather than confrontation, is the true mark of statesmanship.
The PANDEF reconciliation lead also acknowledged the intervention of elder statesman and former Rivers State governor, King Alfred Papapraye Diete-Spiff, describing his involvement as historically significant and deserving of respect, given his long-standing sacrifices for the Niger Delta and the Nigerian state.
Agabi spoke positively of Wike’s role in Rivers politics and national affairs, describing him as a central figure in the state’s recent political history whose influence places on him a special responsibility to support efforts aimed at restoring calm. He also appealed to Governor Fubara to honour the bonds forged during the political process that led to his emergence, including the period of the election petition, by prioritising reconciliation over escalation.
Turning to the Rivers State House of Assembly, Agabi said PANDEF holds the lawmakers in high regard and believes their actions are driven by patriotism, while urging them to demonstrate restraint and forgiveness as part of a broader effort to achieve lasting peace.
He further expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s capacity to manage the competing narratives surrounding the Rivers crisis, noting that the president’s stabilising role is crucial to the health of Nigeria’s democratic system.
The intervention by PANDEF comes against the backdrop of a political crisis that began shortly after Governor Fubara assumed office, following a dramatic fallout between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is widely regarded as his political benefactor. Tensions escalated over control of the state’s political structure and the House of Assembly, leading to a bitter struggle that split lawmakers, paralysed legislative activities at various points and drew national attention.
The rift worsened as impeachment threats, court actions and public exchanges deepened mistrust between the executive and sections of the legislature aligned with opposing camps, raising concerns about governance, security and economic stability in the oil-rich state. Several attempts by party leaders and national figures to broker peace yielded limited results, prompting PANDEF, the region’s foremost socio-political body, to formally constitute a reconciliation committee.
Agabi clarified that the mandate of the PANDEF Reconciliation Committee is not to apportion blame or deliver judgment, but to appeal, persuade and plead for peace, insisting that sacrifices must be made by all sides to allow Rivers State move forward in unity and stability.
