Youths in Rivers State have tendered an apology to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Peter Odili, following the controversial comments by the State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Nwisabari Bani.
The apology came after Bani made comments on the presentation of the 2025 budget to the State House of Assembly, which were deemed malicious and provocative by the youths.
In a statement released after an emergency meeting, the youths, who are executives of the NYCN, dissociated themselves from their chairman’s comments and apologised to Fubara and Odili.
The youths emphasised that they would always respect institutions and leaders and that their chairman’s comments did not reflect their values. By apologising, the youths aimed to mend relationships and promote unity in the state.
The statement noted that the comments against the governor and Odili were not the product of the collective decision of the state’s youth leadership, alleging that Bani is bent on derailing leadership in the state.
The statement read: “The statement issued by Bani and his cohorts at a press briefing in Port Harcourt sponsored by some detractors of the governor was malicious and highly provocative.
MEANWHILE, Fubara has reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding the “soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.”
The governor stated this while addressing members of the PDP Youth Leaders Forum during a courtesy visit to the Government House yesterday.
The governor emphasised the need for loyalty, unity, and resilience to ensure the party’s continued strength and relevance.
He said: “On our part, we are doing our best in the state to ensure that the true soul of the party is kept alive. And when I say the true soul, you understand that we are not adulterated, we are the true PDP, and we remain PDP. We are doing everything to make sure we stand strong.”
He said that the PDP remains in a precarious situation because its leaders are putting the cart before the horse, but leaders must do the proper things before the party can regain its glory in the country’s affairs.
