Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed that he is not desperate to return to office, nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, removing him from power.

Fubara made the statement during a service of songs held in Port Harcourt in honour of the late Edwin Clark, a prominent elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). Responding to tributes from the Rivers Elders Forum, who addressed him as “governor,” Fubara clarified that he had no desire to reclaim his position.

“Have you asked yourself, do you think I’m interested in going back there?” he asked. “If I had my way, I would say this is it. This is the will of God. I don’t wish to go back there. My spirit has left that place.”

Fubara distanced himself from the statements of his supporters, describing them as personal opinions that did not align with his approach to resolving the crisis. He cautioned against politicizing the situation, stating that such actions could escalate the conflict.

Since late 2023, Fubara has been in a power struggle with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. Despite a peace deal brokered by President Tinubu in December 2024, tensions persisted, culminating in the March 18 state of emergency. This move dissolved state structures and placed Rivers under federal control, sparking legal challenges from 11 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Fubara had a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu in London in April, reportedly aimed at addressing the ongoing political crisis.