Political management and public relations consultant, Sir Joe Korka-Waadah, has rejected the recent meeting of some politicians from Ogoni and Oyigbo in Tai, Rivers State, aimed at removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and replacing him with an Ogoni candidate.
The meeting, which was attended by Senator Barinada Mpigi, his predecessor Senator Magnus Abe, former PDP Rivers Chairman Amb Desmond Akawor, and former APC South South Zonal Chairman Chief Victor Giadom, resulted in a communiqué under the banner of the Ogoni/Oyigbo Peoples Assembly. The communiqué outlined their plan to support Federal Capital Territory Minister Chief Nyesom Wike to replace Fubara with a nominee from Ogoni or Oyigbo in 2027.
In response, Korka-Waadah, an Ogoni native now based in Canada, called the move “dead on arrival.” He criticized the politicians for attempting to push their agenda despite not representing the broader sentiment of the Ogoni and Oyigbo people. He stated that these individuals do not have the credibility or electoral value to challenge Fubara and pointed out their failure to deliver substantial federal support to the region.
Korka-Waadah praised Fubara for his ongoing development work across Rivers State, including in Ogoni and Oyigbo, and criticized the politicians for neglecting the Police Training School in Tai. He concluded that there is no justification for replacing Fubara, who should be allowed to complete his term. He expressed a preference for an Ogoni governor in the future, but only after Fubara’s eight-year term has ended.