Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, were conspicuously absent on Saturday as Charles Mcpepple was crowned the new King Jaja of Opobo in Opobo Town.
The coronation attracted prominent dignitaries, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Jonathan; the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Achese; King Asari Dokubo; and the Olu of Warri, alongside other traditional rulers, politicians, business leaders and members of the public.
Fubara, an indigene of Opobo, was represented at the ceremony by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The governor’s absence was linked to his participation in the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is part of the Nigerian delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Wike, who served as governor of Rivers State before becoming Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, also did not attend the ceremony.
No official explanation was given for Wike’s absence. However, it came against the backdrop of the political crisis that previously characterised his relationship with Fubara, with disagreements between the two centred largely on control of the state’s political structure.
The dispute had plunged Rivers State into a prolonged political crisis before both politicians subsequently announced that they had reached a political understanding.
