“What manner of reconciliation is that which does not restore democratic order?” A youth group asked that question in public this week, and it deserves a better answer than silence.
The South-South Youths Initiative, through its national president Imeabe Saviour Oscar, was reacting to the reconciliation meeting led by Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night. It argues that the process tries to settle the crisis without addressing the constitutional mandate of the governor.
It also asks why a man who completed two terms as governor would now lead what it calls a plot to deny another Rivers son his own tenure. The group wants the President, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders to examine the process.
Peace is worth having, but legitimacy has to be earned. Three tests apply: consent, openness and the ballot.
On consent, Governor Siminalayi Fubara was at the table with several of his allies, according to Vanguard. Attendance proves participation, not that the choice was free.
An unnamed Fubara ally told the paper that Wike effectively controls the Assembly, the budget and appointments. That is an allegation, not a finding, and only the governor can answer it in his own voice.
On openness, the record is poor. Neither Wike nor Fubara spoke to the press afterwards, so the terms remain unknown. This is not the first time such a complaint has surfaced. In December 2023, the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, led by former governor Rufus Ada-George, said an earlier presidential peace meeting excluded elders, traditional rulers, women and youth. Who sits in the room, and who does not, keeps shaping how Rivers people judge their peace deals.
On the ballot, whatever coalition emerges, voters must decide who governs through the ballot. SSYI is right to insist on that.
Fairness requires one more point. The group’s language is strong, but as reported, its evidence of a plot is thin, and it does not say which tenure it means. Its statement is a signal to investigate, not proof of wrongdoing.
The remedies are simple. Publish the terms of the understanding. Let the governor speak freely and publicly about his position.
Bring in the stakeholders who were left out in the past: elders, traditional rulers, women and youth. A peace that cannot be explained to the public is only a pause, while one built on consent can outlast the next election.
