Following the political crisis rocking Rivers State occasioned by alleged disagreement between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor and minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Ijaw national leader Chief Edwin Clark has urged President Bola Tinubu to call the former governor to order.
He warned that any unlawful attempt to remove Fubara will be resisted.
In a statement signed by the Ijaw leader, said should call Wike to order to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.
“I have been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers State in the last 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, who has spent only about 5 months in office.
“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the State. Let me warn strongly, we won’t allow that to happen!” he said.
Clark who is the leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEFadded: “President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.
“Last night, the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly was burnt, in what apparently is part of the plot to destabilize the State.
“The Governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage.
We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all
“Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta “Region by extension. The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the National Economy.
“What has Governor Fubara done wrong? Refusing to be further “remote controlled”?
“Mr. Nyesom Wike was Governor for 8 years, nobody hassled him. He governed Rivers State like an Emperor, he did not show any iota of respect and regard to anyone, not even those who imposed him on Rivers people in 2015.
President Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, the nation’s democracy, and the Country at large”.
Also, the Ijaw National Congress in a statement by its president, Prof Benjamin Okaba said the situation was worrisome, adding that Fubara has done nothing wrong to warrant impeachment.
The statement by the ljaw National Congress reads thus:
“The attention of the jaw National Congress has been drawn to a grand plot masterminded by the immediate past governor of River State, now the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike to unlawfully impeach the duly elected Governor of River State, His Excellency, Similaye Fubara who is barely five months in office as Governor of River State.
“The INC considers this development very worrisome and capable of generating an unwarranted state of insecurity and instability that can throw the entire Niger Delta and the Nigerian economy into serious crises.
“From reports gathered, Governor Fubara has done nothing wrong to warrant his removal except for the fact that he has decided not to remain a stooge to the immediate past Governor.
“The INC therefore condemns in its entirety this barbaric, selfish, nepotistic and unconstitutional act capable of derailing the process of democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
“Wike should be advised to concentrate on his responsibilities as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja and stop interfering and arm swinging the political machinery in River State to advance his personal and selfish desires.
“ The INC is hereby calling on Mr. President and Commander in Chief President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call his FCT Minister to order.
“The INC is calling on all jaw sons, daughters and friends to rally their support to the Governor of River State as an injustice to one jaw man is an injustice to over forty (40) million Ijaw people across the world.
“The ljaw Nation is watching closely and will act decisively and appropriately at the right time.
