The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has asked elder statespersons in the Niger Delta to mediate between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, and settle the convoluted rift between the former political allies.
Cole, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, said what is happening right now in the state is dangerous, and without peaceful negotiation, it can’t end well.
The APC chieftain said with a political settlement, the two warring parties would continue a nearly unending political and judicial war to no end.
Cole asked President Bola Tinubu to bring together a group of influential persons to mediate the rift between Fubara and Wike, who is now a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Cole said since the President’s intervention last year didn’t bring about the much-desired outcomes, Tinubu should bring together former First Lady, Patience Jonathan; former Rivers State Governor, Ada George; Port Harcourt-based preacher, David Ibiyeomie; and Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc founder, Atedo Peterside; to broker peace between the two sides.
The politician said, “There are certain people that Mr President has to empower to speak on his behalf and call the warring factors because they have a larger interest in the state.
“Just on the top of my head, I can name three or four people that he can empower to mediate. I will first call an old politician who has been governor of the state Ada George. I will also call somebody who is considered to be a very strong spiritual leader in the state, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, whom I know that they both respect.
“I will call an elder statesman who has very little to do with politics but is straight and forthright, someone like Atedo Peterside; and probably because of her interest in Rivers State and the whole dynamics with all that has happened, I will also call her excellency, Patience Jonathan.
“Give these four people the mandate to sit the two warring factions, whatever the case, bring these people who do not have a direct interest of gaining anything out of the mix and have them speak to these two warring factions because of the future of the state.
“If this does not work, it is fight to the finish,” he said but emphasised the need to “find an intervention that seeks a middle ground” to end the “Titanic battle to control Rivers State”.