Fubara Clarifies Claims Of Secret Meetings To Back Bala Mohammed’s Presidential Ambition

Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed as “laughable” the allegations leveled against him by the former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.

In a press briefing aired on Channels Television on Friday, March 28, 2025, Dr. Nwaeke claimed that Fubara was involved in secret meetings to support Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed’s alleged 2027 presidential ambition and was in talks with militants to destabilize the state.

Reacting to the allegations, Fubara described them as baseless and aimed at misleading the public.

He questioned how a Head of Service could have been privy to high-level political discussions and dismissed the claim that he attended night meetings with Bala Mohammed and militants.

“It is laughable that Dr. Nwaeke would be part of any high-level political meeting as Head of Service, much more sitting in my alleged night meetings with Bala Mohammed and militants like he claimed. Howbeit, none of such meetings ever held,” Fubara stated.

The suspended governor clarified that Bala Mohammed’s visits to Rivers State were in his capacity as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and were widely known. “The whole world knew when the Bauchi State Governor, as Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, visited the state, and there was nothing secret about the visits,” he added.

Fubara also refuted the accusation that he orchestrated plans to encourage attacks on oil pipelines and other national assets, emphasizing his commitment to peace. “It is also ludicrous for Dr. Nwaeke to claim that he was aware of my meetings to encourage attacks on oil pipelines and other national assets in the state, as there was no time I held any meeting with militants or any criminal group to destabilize the state. It is on record that I have been at the forefront preaching peace in the state even in the face of obvious provocations,” he asserted.

The embattled governor accused Dr. Nwaeke of acting under external influence, suggesting that he had been compromised to spread falsehoods. “The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” he alleged.

Fubara called on the people of Rivers State and Nigerians at large to disregard Dr. Nwaeke’s claims, branding them as desperate attempts to tarnish his image and undermine the peace process being championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President,” he concluded.

As the political tensions in Rivers State continue to escalate, the allegations and counter-allegations between Fubara and his opponents underscore the deep divisions within the state’s political landscape.