Former Niger Delta militant Asari Dokubo, has stated that no individual, including former Governor Nyesom Wike and current Rivers Governor Sim Fubara will be allowed to control Rivers State.

According to Dokubo, only one person can govern Rivers State at a time.

His comments come in response to the crisis in Rivers State. On Tuesday, June 17, 2024, Fubara thanked the Local Government Chairmen for their service and wished them well as their tenure expired on Monday.

Fubara then instructed the Local Government Administrators to immediately take over the duties of the LGA chairmen with immediate effect.

This decision was met with resistance from some LGAs who claimed their tenure had been extended by six months.

This led to unrest in the State, with some Rivers youths taking to the streets to destroy a statue of Wike and prevent the LGA chairmen from entering their offices.

In response to the unrest, Dokubo advised the former Chairmen to accept the end of their three-year tenure gracefully and avoid causing further problems.

Dokubo said: “Local government tenure has expired today, June 17, 2024. They should quietly go home. If they want to seek re-election in accordance with the constitution, they should do so.

“But there is no tenure elongation in the constitution. Their position is tenure-bound and that tenure has expired. Let them not cause unnecessary problems for the people of the state. And I want to advise young people: look, don’t allow yourselves to be used.

“Only one man can be governor of Rivers State at a time. We would not have two governors at a time. The people of Rivers State are bigger than Muhajid Asari Dokubo.

“Rivers State is bigger than any individual. No individual can take Rivers State people for a ride and pocket us. It is not possible.

“The people are showing people’s power. The people have gone on their own to take over local government secretariats because it is about the people, and nobody can say that we voted for three years’ tenure for a chairman and the chairman should exceed one second of that tenure.”