Ijaw Youth Leader Urges Support for Governor Fubara Amid Rivers State Political Crisis

Rt. Hon. Collins Oduduba Okpako, Deputy Speaker of the 6th Mobile Parliament of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide and President of Angry Youths International Nigeria (AYIN), has called on the Ijaw people to rally behind Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid the ongoing political crisis in the state.Okpako expressed concern over divisions within the Ijaw community, emphasizing that while political affiliations may differ, the current crisis is a direct threat to the Ijaw people’s political standing in Rivers State. He criticized those dismissing the issue as an internal political dispute, arguing that it goes beyond party lines and should be seen as an attack on the Ijaw people.He accused some Ijaw youths of siding against Fubara to align with their political benefactors, urging them to reconsider their stance. According to him, reducing the situation to a mere power struggle between leaders ignores the larger implications for the Ijaw Nation. He stressed that the oppression of an Ijaw leader should not be tolerated, regardless of political loyalties.Okpako criticized the federal government’s alleged withholding of Rivers State’s allocation, describing it as an inhumane act that exacerbates the crisis. He insisted that the dispute could no longer be resolved through simple political negotiations and warned that continued suppression of the Ijaw people’s rights in Rivers State would have lasting consequences.He called on all Ijaw sons and daughters to stand in solidarity with Governor Fubara, stating that their support should be based on ethnic unity rather than political convenience. He cautioned against prioritizing personal political affiliations over the collective interest