A town hall meeting held in Port Harcourt turned chaotic on Friday as followers of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and supporters of suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara engaged in a heated argument.
The meeting was meant to give Rivers residents a platform to discuss the ongoing political tension in the state.
The clash started when Bright Amaewhule, leader of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), spoke on how the group supported Fubara during his campaign for governor.
He stated that GDI members toured different local governments to promote Fubara before he became governor and suggested that the current problems were caused by people who joined Fubara after his victory and advised him to ignore the party and allies who supported him earlier.
Amaewhule’s remarks triggered a reaction from Hilda Dokubo, the Labour Party Chairman in the state, who got up from her seat in disagreement.
Although she was persuaded to return to her seat, the tension in the room began to rise.
The situation grew worse when another speaker, Kenwell Ibanibo, responded by questioning why Fubara was targeted for impeachment just five months after taking office if he truly had such support.
He also accused an unnamed person of acting like the owner of the state and using power to influence political moves.
This comment sparked a reaction from Wike’s supporters led by Chibike Ikenga, a factional chairman of the APC in Rivers.
The shouting match that followed disrupted the meeting as both camps exchanged angry words.
One Wike supporter made loud remarks defending the minister, while Dokubo shot back, refusing to let her group be intimidated.
Despite efforts from the host and individuals like Jake Epelle to calm things down, the verbal fight continued.
Security personnel had to position themselves around the hall as the argument escalated.
Eventually, Mr. Ibanibo stepped down from the stage to ease the tension, and after some minutes of calm, the event continued.
However, the clash made it clear how divided the state remains politically, with tempers still high among supporters on both sides.
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