Rivers Governor defends calm approach at Lagos award ceremony

Rivers state governor Siminalayi Fubara has said his calm posture amid the political crisis in the state was a deliberate strategy aimed at preserving peace and stability.

Speaking on Friday night in Lagos while receiving the Man of the Year 2025 award from New Telegraph, Fubara said what some had interpreted as weakness was a conscious decision.

“I chose for a lot of reasons to be weak. Weak because I want peace. Weak because I need to also protect those things that are dear not just to me but to our dear nation,” he said.

He acknowledged that supporters who stood by him during the turbulence had endured what he described as “special pain”, but urged them to remain steadfast.

“Today, for me, is a very special day, and also special for everyone who has believed in me. And I know for believing in me, you have a share of special pain,” he said.

Fubara said restraint should not be mistaken for incapacity, arguing that it was a virtue that would yield results in time.

“Continue to believe in what you believe in. Weakness is a virtue. It pays at the right time,” he added.

The award was presented by veteran journalist and former Ogun state governor Olusegun Osoba, alongside the chairman of the board of New Telegraph, Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal.

Fubara was accompanied to the stage by elders from Rivers state and immediate past members of the state executive council.

He dedicated the award to God, his family and the people of Rivers state, and paid tribute to his predecessor and minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike, whom he credited with discovering and supporting him.