Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticized former Rivers State Governor, Rufus Ada George, over his recent comments on the political crisis rocking the state.
Olayinka expressed disappointment that some senior figures in Rivers State, whom he accused of staying silent while Governor Siminalayi Fubara allegedly acted with impunity, are now speaking out, comparing their behavior to “children who lost their most prized toys.”
He said it was “funny and unfortunate” that Ada George—who previously supported Fubara even as the governor allegedly withheld salaries and entitlements from State House of Assembly members—was now pointing fingers and assigning blame for the state’s political turmoil.
Ada George, during a media briefing, accused Wike of fueling the crisis in Rivers, including the imposition of a state of emergency and the appointment of sole administrators in all 23 local government areas.
Responding in a signed statement, Olayinka dismissed George’s credentials as a true elder, saying:
“Unlike those parading themselves as members of the so-called ‘Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum’, true elders maintain neutrality in conflicts among younger ones, earning the credibility and respect needed to mediate and resolve disputes.”
Olayinka accused Ada George and others of cheering Fubara during controversial actions such as the demolition of the State Assembly complex and allowing three lawmakers to operate a 32-member house.
He also criticized George’s earlier condemnation of President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis.
“When the President intervened and all parties signed resolutions, it was this same Ada George who described the President’s efforts as ‘executive rascality’ and a violation of the constitution,” Olayinka stated.
According to him, the elders failed to hold Fubara accountable, even when the Supreme Court issued rulings related to the conflict. Instead, he said, they stood by while the governor made threats, some of which allegedly resulted in pipeline sabotage.
“Now that emergency rule has become necessary due to Fubara’s actions, these same elders are lamenting, acting like children whose toys have been taken,” he added.
Olayinka also criticized what he called the obsessive monitoring of Wike’s movements in and out of Rivers State, arguing that the minister has every right to visit his home state and associate freely with the people.
He concluded by saying that Ada George and the Rivers Elders Forum should take responsibility for their partiality, noting:
“The moment an elder takes sides in a conflict between two children, he loses the moral right to mediate or resolve that conflict.”
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