Port Harcourt, Rivers – Amid the political tension in Rivers state, more reports about the growing rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have continued spreading online.
Tension grew further on Monday, May 13, when the governor announced his plan to constitute a committee to probe Wike’s administration, which he was part of.
Hours after, a social media user on X, identified as @possible1001, claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had declared Fubara wanted, using “BREAKING”.
The tweet read:
The post was misleading, as a thorough check by TimesNow.com.ng showed that it predated the current event in the state.
See the tweet below:
Though the X user did not cite any credible media as the source of the claim, he shared the regular publicity image from the anti-graft agency, EFCC, which included the governor’s photo.
After subjecting the image to a fact-check on Google reverse image, it was discovered that it was dated September 2018, when the EFCC declared Fubara, the then director of finance of the Rivers state government and three other members of the cabinet wanted.
In May 2022, TimesNow.com.ng reported that the EFCC declared Fubara, the state’s accountant general at the time, wanted.
Therefore, it is important to clarify that the claim that the EFCC declared Fubara wanted is not a recent report, as the social media user suggested.
Furthermore, Fubara is now a sitting governor of the oil-producing state and will enjoy constitutional immunity until the end of his tenure if he has a case to answer.
Fubara was appointed the accountant general of the state in December 2022. He left the position after he emerged as the Rivers governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022. He won the election and took over from Wike. However, both men have been engaged in a supremacy battle since then.
Reacting to Fubara’s plan to probe Wike, a journalist, Oseni Rufai, tweeted:
See Oseni’s tweet below:
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that President Tinubu was said to be planning a neutral role in solving the political crisis in Rivers state.
The presidency clarified that the warring party should focus on governance to the state’s people till 2027, which is the time of politics.
Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson to the president, said Tinubu will ensure that every stakeholder has what they need to work.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at TimesNow.com.ng.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
