Chief Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinstate Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the spirit of Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
Fubara was suspended by President Tinubu on March 18 amid rising political tensions in Rivers State.
However, his recent visit to Tinubu in Lagos during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations has reignited calls for his return to office.
In an open letter marking the 32nd anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, George urged the president to extend forgiveness to Fubara as he did with Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said: “Since Tinubu has forgiven Sanwo-Olu, it makes sense, both politically and spiritually, to also forgive Fubara and allow him back to office.”
George recalled Tinubu’s historic role in the struggle against military rule and urged him to honour the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists, many of whom lost their lives fighting for civilian governance.
He also invoked the legacy of his maternal granduncle, Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria’s first party founder, urging Tinubu to act in the national interest by resolving the Rivers State crisis amicably.
