𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶, 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝗜𝗬𝗖 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲

-𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶, 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝗜𝗬𝗖 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲

𝑩𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒙-𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒎𝒃𝒖

Gabriel Tomoni’s recent broadcast attacking the Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Congress (RIPCO) is not only disappointing, it is deeply misdirected, emotional, and constitutionally hollow.
RIPCO did not issue its statement out of malice, betrayal, or hostility to the Ijaw Nation.

We spoke from history, from facts, and from a deep understanding of political reality; three things that cannot be replaced by ethnic chest-beating.
Let us be clear from the outset:

Nyesom Wike is not an enemy of the Ijaw Nation. Any attempt by the INC or IYC to frame him as such is intellectually dishonest and historically false.

𝑶𝒏 𝑾𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰𝒋𝒂𝒘 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 – 𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔, 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

Since becoming Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has facilitated over 20 federal appointments for Ijaw sons and daughters; the highest concentration of Ijaw federal appointments within a single political season in our history.

This is not propaganda. These appointments are verifiable in public records across federal boards, agencies, commissions, and ministerial structures.
For the avoidance of doubt:

Even during the presidency of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Ijaw Nation did not record this volume of strategic federal placements.

Influence in Nigerian politics is measured by access, appointments, and leverage, not by slogans and street rhetoric.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒓, 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅?

As Governor of Rivers State, Wike deliberately zoned virtually all critical power blocs of government to Ijaw interests, including:

– Key security-sensitive offices
– Revenue and infrastructure-driven ministries
– Strategic political and administrative appointments
– This was not accidental. It was intentional inclusion.

Yet today, the same man is being branded an “enemy” by those who benefited most from his decisions.

– That is not activism.
– That is political amnesia.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 24-𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕; 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑭𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅 𝑰𝒕?

Let history speak plainly.

After Dr. Peter Odili, Ijaws endured a 24-year governorship drought in Rivers State, dominated largely by Ikwere political succession.

Even Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, despite being Ijaw, and married to an Ijaw woman, could not produce an Ijaw Governor in Rivers State.

Why?
Because at critical moments, Ijaw political elites (Jonathan’s) abandoned their own credible sons, including:

– Abiye Sekibo
– George Sekibo
– Sampson Parker
– Tammy Danagogo
and others

They were abandoned not because they lacked competence, but because political pragmatism – not ethnic sentiment – favoured Wike as the only man capable of dismantling the Amaechi succession machine.

Those same Ijaw elites (Jonathan’s) rallied behind Wike, because they knew power respects capacity, not ancestry.

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑺𝒊𝒎 𝑭𝒖𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝑼𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒆 𝑻𝒐 𝑶𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔

It was Nyesom Wike – not the IYC, not the INC – that personally took responsibility to produce an Ijaw Governor in Siminalayi Fubara after 24 years of exclusion.

He had other viable options:
– Ogoni
– Ikwere
Yet he chose Ijaw.

That decision restructured Rivers politics permanently.

Three months into office, however, Governor Fubara turned against the very political structure that brought him to power.

Call it independence if you like – but rebellion without constitutional discipline is recklessness.

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚

This is where Gabriel Tomoni and his allies have failed the Ijaw Nation.

The Rivers crisis is no longer about Wike vs Fubara.
– It is about law vs impunity.
– The Supreme Court has ruled.
– The Constitution is clear.
– A Governor cannot lawfully spend public funds without presenting a budget.
– Persistent refusal constitutes gross misconduct.

Instead of mediating and calling their “son” to order, the INC and IYC chose ethnic bias over constitutional responsibility – openly cheering actions that undermine the rule of law.

– That is dangerous precedent.
– Today it favours an Ijaw man.
– Tomorrow it will destroy an Ijaw administration.

𝑶𝒏 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 – 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔

If the Rivers State House of Assembly is moving toward impeachment, it is not because Fubara is Ijaw.

It is because:
– Court judgments are being ignored
– Legislative authority is being undermined
– Public funds are being spent outside constitutional limits

* No ethnic organization should defend illegality.
* Ijaw dignity is not protected by lawlessness.

𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑹𝑰𝑷𝑪𝑶 𝑻𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑰𝒕𝒔 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆

Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Congress has a simple, principled position:
– Yes, Fubara is our son.
– But the Constitution is superior to bloodlines.
– Wike stood by the law, the Assembly, and institutional order.
– We owe gratitude, not war, to the man who restored Ijaw relevance in Rivers politics.

• Politics is memory.
• Politics is reciprocity.
• Politics punishes ingratitude.

If the Ijaw Nation is seen as hostile to allies after benefiting from them, other ethnic blocs will think twice before supporting an Ijaw cause in the future.

𝑨 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑻𝒐 𝑮𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒊

Gabriel Tomoni should redirect his courage.
Instead of attacking RIPCO, he should:

• Admonish Governor Fubara to obey court judgments
• Demand constitutional compliance
• Call for reconciliation, not escalation
• Defend the rule of law, not selective ethnicity
• That is leadership.

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒐 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒀𝑪/𝑰𝑵𝑪

In three years, what tangible political capital has Governor Fubara delivered to the Ijaw Nation – locally or nationally?
Now compare that to:

– What Wike did in his first tenure as Governor
– What he is still doing today as FCT Minister
– Then answer honestly:

Who has truly proven himself a son of the Ijaw Nation – even if adopted?

𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒚 𝑷𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔:

RIPCO stands firm.
We choose:

• Law over lawlessness
• Strategy over sentiment
• Gratitude over ingratitude
• The future of the Ijaw Nation over temporary emotional applause
• Wisdom is knowing when to fight and when not to destroy the ladder that lifted you.

• Rivers Ijaw Peoples’ Congress is on the right side of history.