The Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Rivers State, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, speaks to AYOOLA OLASUPO about the political crisis in the state, among other issues
You contested the concluded governorship election in Rivers State. Did you feel any sense of regret after losing the election?
I wouldn’t say I lost the election. I won the election, but the mandate was stolen and that was the reason I went to court. I regret that my mandate was stolen and that was why I went to seek redress at the tribunal, and when I thought otherwise, I had to go to the Appeal Court. The Appeal Court also said the same thing. So, we filed at the Supreme Court. Still, seeing the current situation in Rivers State, the unrest, and the heated political climate, I decided after consultations that let us withdraw our petition and avoid adding to the tumult going on in the state so that we can allow the incumbent governor to remain focused on discharging his duties.
After you lost the election, did you feel dejected that the people you have been clamouring for their welfare eventually went for someone else?
That is not true; I told you that I won. If you look at the forms that were filled, the one that the INEC gave to people, I won in most of the places except where there was unrest, snatching of ballot boxes, and intimidation, but if they were properly calculated, I won. I wouldn’t say they rejected me because I know they supported me, even though they won’t prevail in this election; so, what do we do? The hope of the common man also behaved the same way INEC did. We are not in any way disappointed in the people. It is the system that encourages corruption or manipulation.
Don’t you think you could win at the Supreme Court if you had not withdrawn your case at the Supreme Court?
It was because of the current problem in Rivers State; the political tumult here and there. So, we decided to do that. It was only me and the stakeholders, and we reasoned that we should not add to the current problem because it would be like adding petrol to a burning fire. Let us allow the state to be peaceful. That was exactly why we called on other meaningful persons to gear up because I don’t think a meaningful development can take place in a state that is so problematic and issues coming up and everybody going their way every day.
Investors will also be scared to come to the state. So, we decided to give peace a chance and that is exactly what we did. The significance of this will be seen in the people of Rivers State because a lot of people have sympathy for the sitting governor. Everybody is going towards that because of the sympathy, because of the political tumult. Being a people-oriented person, I came outside to make every region happy even when the people say this is the person they want. I won’t say I have to be there because I still have a long way to go and that is why we took that decision at the Supreme Court.
There are rumours that the governor has bought you over. How will you react to that?
I know people are commending me for the step I took but for people that will think otherwise, we are in a society where people are no longer thinking straight because that is why they will be thinking that maybe I had received financial gratification. Still, the truth is that I have never discussed anything about money with the governor and I will not do that. The state should move forward and there should be peace. If he carries us along in one way or the other, we will be able to flow along but not for money. If I had needed money, I wouldn’t have got to this point.
Don’t you think the power tussle between the governor and the immediate past governor of the state is already jeopardising governance in the state?
That is exactly what I’ve said; the problem in the state is making governance very difficult and it will not make us enjoy the dividend of democracy. That is why I’m telling you that we are trying to give peace a chance and we are also calling on the former governor to give peace a chance. He brought him (the governor) as his political son and today, he is there and all of a sudden, without anything, he wants them to impeach him.
It is not done that way. Rivers State belongs to all of us. We are all privileged to even be at this level that we are. He was privileged to be somebody who has ruled the state for eight years. He was a local government chairman and chief of staff and from there, he became a minister and came back to become a governor. Then he should be able to give gratitude to God because it is a rare privilege.
President Bola Tinubu has met with Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara to resolve their differences for the second time. Don’t you think it is high time traditional rulers in the state also intervened in the matter?
There was a time when the traditional rulers spoke, and I am sure they all spoke in the direction of peace. When people are determined to call a truce in a particular system, no matter how you think that they will say, it may not work. You can see that the truce that the President (Bola Tinubu) himself called will not work because before it can work, it has to be done in line with the laid down laws and provisions of the constitution. The earlier agreement that was reached was against the law and illegal. It cannot stand as far as I am concerned because I don’t know the mind of the governor but what people are saying is no to that agreement and I think where Rivers State people stand is where I will always stand.
Are you also in support of the move by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress to embark on an industrial action over the political crisis in the state claiming that it is affecting the welfare of workers?
I’m not well abreast with that because I’ve not been around. If I know the reason why they want to do that, if it is in line with what we are clamouring for and anything that will affect the workers, Labour should be able to give a stance to defend the workers. So, in that regard, I will be in support.
Some commissioners resigned from Fubara’s cabinet. As an opposition party, what impression do you think that will pass to the public?
Everybody within and outside the state knows what is happening in Rivers State. So, I don’t think there is any negative thing. Somebody brought them because the person has a difference with his political godson, he decided to ask them to leave, and they left and that is why I’m saying that the agreement with the President will not hold. Fresh blood should be injected into the system to bring new ideas, and not recycle the same old people. We are doing the same thing in the same way, and we are expecting different results. That is the height of insanity. So, they should all go and let new people come.
Now that you’ve dropped your petition against Fubara, people are saying that the Labour Party will not perform its opposition role effectively. What can you say to that?
I said it even when I was talking to the press that we will be in a healthy opposition. Being an opposition does not mean we must always criticise every time. When the government does something that is right and people are happy with it, we will applaud it and when you criticise, you do it constructively to proffer solutions and not the other way. That is what we call healthy opposition that happens in the other climes. It is only here that because you are the opposition, when the government does something good, you will say it is not and that is why they go on their way to dance to the gallery. We should be able to criticise whoever falls short of the normal standard. We will be a very effective and constructive opposition in the state.
Before the governorship election, the national leadership of the LP dissolved the executive council of your party in the state over the allegations that the state officials were involved in gross anti-party activities and corruption in the management of party funds. What can you say to that?
Of course, as you said earlier, they engaged in anti-party by going to endorse another governorship candidate when their party had a candidate. Secondly, the money that was brought for the presidential campaign council, when we needed it, we found out that the money was mismanaged. So, based on that and the other offence of betraying the party, this led to their committee being dissolved and another one taking over. They went to court and the position of the party was upheld.
From being an activist to a politician, what motivated you to venture into politics?
There is a saying in the Bible that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. During my eight years as the Chairman of the Council of Labour in Rivers State, everything I brought to the governor as of then was not implemented. So, we said that if it was becoming difficult and these people would not achieve a goal, let us take the bull by the horns and make sure that we implement those things because they are implementable.
How will you react to the Rivers State House of Assembly complex that was recently demolished for an excuse that it needed repairs because of the explosion that rocked the building on October 30, 2023?
The issue we have in the House of Assembly; we all know that it is a very complex one. Firstly, there was an explosion before they demolished the complex. You know the explosion was from either dynamite or a bomb and the foundation of the complex must have been compromised and there would be the need to do it (demolish the complex) because I am sure they wouldn’t just wake up one day and say that they wanted to do it. I’m also not in support of the demolition of public property. I’m sure they must have got some experts who must have advised that it is no longer fit for a place where public actions can take place.
That is what I want to believe. So, I’m sure that must have been done before the demolition because the money could have been used for other things to bring about development. That is why I said that a crisis is something that will not do anybody any good. If the crisis was not there, there wouldn’t have been any way that complex would be bombed for them to now say that it has been compromised. We need to put things in order and that is why I am condemning this tumult so that we can begin to have peace of mind and Rivers State can begin to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Are you saying that one of the warring parties in the state caused the explosion at the state House of Assembly complex?
Of course, there is a saying that a witch cries in the night, and in the morning, the child dies, do you need a soothsayer to say that it is related? So, there is a problem. If not the warring factions, which group would have done that? That is why I said it is an ill-will; it doesn’t blow anybody good.
Based on what is happening currently, what advice will you give Governor Fubara?
It has always been my advice that we want peace and the peace we want is not the one that will be detrimental to the people of Rivers State or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he swore on oath to defend the constitution; therefore, he should not be compelled to signing any agreement that will be detrimental to the people and Rivers State.
If Fubara invites you into his administration, are you ready to work with him?
We are prepared to work and also to contribute our quota not to say by appointment or so. Anytime my advice is sought, I will always be there. I will also speak out when I see that things are going wrong. So, in that capacity, I am a Rivers State indigene by birth and marriage, and I have no other place I can call home. So, I must be here to see how we can also salvage the system to have a prosperous state for our children and the ones yet unborn.