Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has said contrary to the impression being created, President Bola Tinubu did not broker peace in Rivers State, but actually used his office to enhance the fortunes of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement yesterday, Lamido accused the National Working Committee (NWC) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of docility. He said it was inconceivable that the party allowed its arch-rival, Tinubu, to intervene in the dispute between the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
But the embattled lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly announced they had commenced the process of withdrawing their impeachment motion against Fubara.
However, a group in the US, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), advised the people of Rivers State to stand united against the influence of Tinubu, Wike, and APC.
At the same time, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide said it was already losing faith in the Tinubu administration over his recent intervention in the feud between Fubara and Wike.
Lamido, in the statement, said it was highpoint of irresponsibility for the PDP leadership to allow its opponent to settle a political difference between PDP members.
He stated, “Pray, do we still have the National Working Committee of the PDP? Or better still, do we have a party called PDP?
“If we have one of the two, how come their total absence in the saga playing out in the PDP family in Rivers? Is the docility of the leadership of the PDP so comatose to the extent that President Tinubu of APC, our sworn rival and opponent, is now the grand patriarch of PDP?”
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs added, “It is inconceivable that a political party will simply sit back and allow its fortunes taken over by a rapacious scavenger, the APC.
“What President Tinubu did in the so-called peace meeting is not brokering peace in Rivers State, but using his office to enhance the fortunes of his political party.
“There are many areas yearning for peace in the country, where President Tinubu’s political expertise, sagacity and wisdom is needed. What skills has he applied to stop the killings of citizens in Nigeria, which is his primary responsibility, which he has conveniently looked away?
“Unwittingly, the so-called peace accord in Rivers only planted the mines, which will definitely explode in the not-too-distant future, with collateral consequences on the entire country. Asari Mujaheed Tokubo and Chief Edwin Clark have alluded to this last week.”
Lamido said the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) “should feel sufficiently embarrassed if not slighted, by the action taken by President Tinubu to reward a political mercenary with PDP fortunes in Rivers State.
“More to the eternal shame of PDP NWC that a tribal voice of Ijaws through Chief Edwin Clark press conference has to be deployed to challenge the illegality and unconstitutionality of the peace accord.
“Like Chief Clark said in the press conference, if Tinubu, as the then governor of Lagos, could stand up and fight President Obasanjo’s awesome power and personality and endure to overcome, can’t PDP do likewise?
“The PDP must take off from where Chief Clark started to fight this illegality through our justice system and all other legal means possible!
“If the national executive of the PDP does not have the nerve to stand up and protect its own, it should honourably step down to allow for the election of competent hands.”
Lamido also spoke to the Rivers State governor.
He stated, “To Governor Fubara of Rivers State, the document you signed was under an environment not friendly to real conflict resolution and it was presided by the force of fear, intimidation and blackmail. Therefore, shred the document and toss it into trash can.
“Governor Fubara may wish to know that President Tinubu, who chaired the meeting, was running with the deer and hunting with hound!”
Lawmakers Begin to Withdraw Motion against Fubara
The embattled lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly commenced the process of withdrawing the motions in suit filed against them by Fubara.
Fubara had filed the matter before a State High Court in Isiokpo, registered in suit no. IHC/230/CS/2023.
The governor filed the suit against the Rivers State House of Assembly, (first Defendant); Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, (second defendant); Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly (third defendant); Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, (fourth defendant); and Chief Judge of the State (fifth defendant), praying for an interim order of court to stop the lawmakers from impeaching him.
The trial judge, Justice O. Ben-Whyte, during the previous sitting had barred the House of Assembly and the Chief Judge from impeaching Fubara, pending the determination of the motion on notice before it.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to the House of Assembly, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), informed the court that he had the instruction of his clients to withdraw the matter from court.
Orbih said the decision was informed by the recent peace agreement the parties had with the president in Abuja.
Counsel to the claimant, Fubara, Damian Okoro (SAN), told the court that he was yet to receive directives from his client to withdraw the matter.
After hearing the parties’ arguments, the trial judge adjourned the matter till January 31, 2024 for report of alternative settlement.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in Rivers State rejected Tinubu’s directives on the political crisis in the state.
The stakeholders, under the aegis of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, led by a former governor of the state, Rufus Ada-George, said the directives contravened the constitution of Nigeria, which the president swore to uphold at all times.
They spoke with journalists in Port Harcourt, insisting, “The directives unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by virtue of an attempt to reverse a court order recognising Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie as the speaker and directing that the remainder of members of the House of Assembly constituted the quorum for legislative business.
“That the directive also contravenes the hallowed doctrine and practice of separation of powers, particularly as it affects the responsibility of the judiciary.”
The forum queried if Tinubu or the federal government had the power to overrule the decisions of courts of competent jurisdiction.
It stated, “This portends executive rascality, which undermines our constitutional democracy, rule of law, and good governance.
“The directives to the parties were one-sided in favour of Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and at the detriment of the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the good people of Rivers State.
“In the eyes of the law and due process, as evidenced by the Rivers State High Court decision, the Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and his team have ceased to exist in the state House of Assembly, having defected to another political party, and, therefore, cannot be reinstated and remunerated through the back door.
“The directive to re-present the budget passed and signed into law is a clear attempt to ridicule and denigrate the office of the governor and the good people of Rivers State, including the judiciary.”
The forum “enjoined all Rivers people to rise up in this our moment of truth, to salvage the soul of Rivers State. Our fathers fought for the creation of Rivers State, we will stand to defend it.”
US Group: Rivers People Must Resist Tinubu, Wike, APC
A group in the US, NADECO, advised the people of Rivers State to stand together against the influence of Wike, Tinubu, and APC. It also said the proposed peace agreement supervised by Tinubu should be resisted and rejected by the people, adding that Fubara must be made to serve the people of Rivers State and not the interests of Wike or Tinubu.
NADECO said in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade David Adenakan, that the willingness of Fubara to engage Tinubu and APC raised concerns about his independence and the sincerity of PDP’s internal conflict resolution efforts.
It urged Fubara to be cautious not to allow himself to be manipulated by Tinubu, and stressed that the agreement was one-sided, and left Fubara exposed to the plots of Wike, while strengthening his adversaries.
We’re Losing Faith in Tinubu’s Presidency, Say Ijaw Youths
Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide said it was losing confidence in the Tinubu administration because of his recent intervention in the Rivers crisis.
IYC described the president’s intervention and its outcome as a rape on democracy as well an open hatred of the Ijaw.
In a statement by its spokesman, Binebai Yerin Princewill, IYC commended Tinubu for heeding its call for intervention in the Rivers political crisis.
However, the youth body expressed disappointment with the outcome of the meeting to reconcile Fubara and Wike, presided by the president. It alleged that the content of the peace document was skewed against Fubara.
IYC stated, “While as a council, we are appreciating President Tinubu for his intervention, we are still wondering if it was an intervention or a move well planned and orchestrated to further undermine, humiliate and frustrate the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalaye Fubara.
“We are completely backing the position of our father, Sen. Dr. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, leader of PANDEF (Pan-Niger Delta Forum), by re-emphasising that the said intervention of Tinubu, who is supposed to play a fatherly role as president of the country on this matter, has clearly demonstrated his unbridled hatred against the Ijaws, with his biased eight -point resolutions.
“Considering the political impasse in Rivers State, we have all called for the intervention of President Tinubu to broker peace, but it has become very worrisome and frightening to us as Ijaw people when the settlement is one-sided, devoid of justice, fairness and negatively twisted deliberately against the governor, which is in total favour to Nyesom Wike.
“For us, that is not a settlement but laid down rules for the continued enslavement of the governor of Rivers State. The purported settlement is nothing but a mere charade and a drama stage-managed by Wike and his cohorts in Aso Rock.”
