Former governor Nyesom Wike has cautioned politicians not to remove the ladder that propelled them to high office in the midst of the political unrest roiling Rivers State.

“Avoid pulling the ladder you use to ascend. The ladder could not be there when you are coming down,” Wike stated on Sunday.

“And let others climb the ladder by leaving the ladder too.”

Speaking to the traditional ruler of Ogbaland who had come to celebrate his birthday, Wike, who has been embroiled in a dispute with Siminalayi Fubara, the current governor of the oil-rich state and his successor, addressed the gathering at his Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The traditional ruler of the state, Nwachukwu Nnam-Obi III, led the chiefs and other members of the Ogbaland traditional institution in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, advocating for peace within the state.

In response, Wike—who also serves as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—promised the king that he would consider his counsel and that peaceful solutions are welcome.

The minister went on to refute assertions that the political crisis is an ethnic conflict, stating that such a concept does not exist.

The minister declared, “We didn’t vote based on ethnicity…but for the unity of Rivers.”

“We will always advocate for peace and never participate in acts of violence.”

“Within the political group you join, there are guidelines.

“You can’t argue that because an Oba has emerged and isn’t going to abide by the established institution’s regulations. No, an Oba is always going to follow the rules. Similar to other fields, politics has its share of things you should and shouldn’t do.