Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan has urged Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi and his predecessor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to give peace a chance.

This follows the unending crisis that has rocked the state.

She made the plea at the 60th anniversary of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) international colloquium in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking on the theme of the event ‘Public Relations, Value Re-orientation and Economic Transformation,’ the former first lady urged the warring parties to allow the present administration of Rivers State to run smoothly without interference.

"I will at this point plead that the election has come and gone and now it is time for governance. As a peace advocate, I would like to call on the warring parties in Rivers State and other troubled spots in the country to shed their sword and give peace a chance knowing fully well that no development can take place in an atmosphere of chaos," the former First Lady said.

There has been a fracas in Rivers State following the fallout of former Governor Nyesom Wike and his Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

After leaving office in May 2023, Wike was later appointed FCT Minister by President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

Last year, Fubara survived an impeachment move by lawmakers loyal to Wike. The oil-rich state has made headlines in recent months owing to the crisis.

Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly have been having a running battle with the pro-Wike lawmakers overriding the governor on some crucial bills in the state.

On Tuesday, a substance believed to be dynamite went off near the Presidential Hotel axis of the Aba Expressway in Port Harcourt causing panic in the area. The state government later said it had arrested the suspect who detonated the explosive.

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