Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of
urgency, halt the threatening crisis in Rivers State.
In a letter to President Tinubu, the Elder Statesman
reiterated that he should caution the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory
Administration, FCTA, Nyesom Wike, and call him to order in the overall
interest of Nigerians to allow the elected Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, whom
he, Wike, claimed he made, to govern Rivers State peacefully, saying that let
the truth be told to him that the former Rivers State governor is not ready for
any form of peace.
In the letter dated 25th June, 2024, and made available to
journalists yesterday in Abuja, the leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF,
said that he was calling on him as the President of the country to tread the
path of great honour as a self-professed democrat in bringing the very
troubling situation in Rivers State to an immediate end.
The letter is titled, “CHIEF CLARK BESEECH PRESIDENT BOLA
AHMED TINUBU TO HALT THE THREATENING POLITICAL CRISIS IN RIVERS STATE.”
The leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum,
SMBLF, has, however, warned that failure to nip the Rivers State crisis in the
bud will appear as the proverbial Caesar sitting on his oars when Rome was
burning. Let me remind you that the situation
in Rivers State is like a banana peel and if nothing is done early, could
engulf everywhere.
Clark said, “I wish to congratulate you for your prompt
action taken by the Presidency to douse the political tension in Rivers State.
Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser on Media to Mr. President disclosed the
President’s position during an interview on TVC on Saturday, 11th May, 2024.
And it has been warmly received by Nigerians particularly in Rivers State. The
crisis is no doubt will gradually died down if the statement is upheld by the
Presidency, and it will enable us to face the security problem in other part of
the country.
“According to the Presidential media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, he
said, “I believe that anyone who believes that by their actions, whether it’s
from the federal level, state level or the legislative branch in the state or
the legislative branch in the state or the executive branch in the state, if
they are banking on Mr. President to take sides on this matter, they are
mistaking and they will be disappointed”.
“I am now 97 years and
by the grace of God while I may be in my last journey, I have therefore
deliberately decided to address the Rivers State issues historically,
factually, and courageously without fear or favour to anyone in the interest of
Nigeria as a result of your Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike’s continuous threat to
remove from office the elected Governor of Rivers State. Your Excellency, you
have done what was expected as the father and President of Nigeria, we are all
happy to note that with the statesmanship statement from the presidency, the
tension in Rivers State is gradually dying down and the peace and good
governance is returning to Rivers State. Mr. President, we all know you as an
experience and matured politician and historically, you have bravely passed through
this way before when democracy was introduced in 1999, and therefore Mr.
President, know what I am talking about.
“I am confident and proud to say that I have known you for
many years even though we have never worked together but in our various positions,
we successfully fought against anti democratic policies of President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s regime between 1999 and 2007, and I developed special admiration for
you when you boldly and courageously spoke against President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s interference with your State Local Government system. You are
therefore responsible for the growth and wealth of Lagos State today and
Nigerians all over the country admire you because you never compromise your
constitutional right as provided in section 5(2) of the 1999 constitution of
Nigeria as amended which gave you the power and authority to manage the affairs
of Lagos State because the constitution recognized the autonomy of the State
and they are not subsidiary of the Federal Government. What changes now?
“Nyesom Wike has deliberately made a plan with the Rivers
State members of the National Assembly to stagger their thanksgiving service
and reception for over a long period of time where he will always have the
opportunity to criticise the government of Rivers State and harass the Governor
because the Governor must accept him as a political leader of Rivers State. It
must be remembered that these National Assembly members took oath of office in
June 2023. A situation which we now found ourselves by Mr. President allowing
Nyesom Wike to rule Rivers State from Abuja while he is no longer the Rivers
State Governor and at the same time performing his job from Abuja undisturbed
as Minister of FCT is unacceptable; hence we are legitimately resisting it.
“Almost everything that Nyesom Wike had said in public has
been repudiated by him (Nyesom Wike is indeed a man of contradiction and
inconsistencies). From the PDP primaries where he vowed to support whosoever
emerged as candidate, to his vow not to be minister, to his scathing
excoriation of the APC which he likened to a cancerous party, everything Wike
supposedly stood for have been repudiated by his fickle mindedness”.
“With the exception of Governor Melford Okilo, who was the
first Civilian Governor of Rivers State in 1979 when Nyesom Wike, only a
12years old boy was still in primary school, he has condemned every other
Governor and President who trusted him and contributed to his becoming Local
Government Chairman of Obio-Akpor, Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi,
Minister of State Education by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and as a
Governor of Rivers State also by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his
wife, Dame Patience Jonathan. But today, he has abandoned them.
“The continuous activities of the Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom
Wike, are clear indications that he is not ready for peace in Rivers State.
“As a former Governor yourself who suffered under the heavy
hand of President Obasanjo and held your funds for several years, you can
appreciate the unnecessary pressure and distraction which the Governor is going
through by having a very high handed former boss breathing down on him with
federal might. Let me ask, if not for federal might, on what basis would former
members of the State House of Assembly who publicly declared to all; a change
of political party and were seen carrying the flag of your party and singing
the songs of your party still claim to be members of the Assembly. Is this not contrary to Section 109(1) g of
the 1999 Constitution and extant Supreme Court Judgement as I referred to
earlier? If not for the presumed federal support, on what basis would Local
Government Chairmen whose tenures have expired refuse to vacate office? If not for the federal might, on what basis
would Nigerian police whose duty is to keep law and order take over the
premises of the Local Government Secretariats in the name of protecting law and
order? If not for federal might, why are
former Local Government Chairmen still parading themselves to be in office
granting interview carrying out demonstration and enjoying very visible police
protection? If not for federal might, why will the Police stop the duly
constituted Local Government Caretaker Chairmen and workers from accessing the
premises to perform their duties? If not
the supposed federal might, why is the judiciary now in total confusion in the
contradictory judgements flying everywhere?
“Let the truth be told to you Mr. President, Nyesom Wike is
not ready for any form of peace. Therefore, I call on you once again, to
caution Mr. Wike and call him to order in the overall interest of Nigerians to
allow the elected Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, whom he, Nyesom Wike, claimed he
made, to govern Rivers State peacefully.
“Now, Nyesom Wike is dancing around President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, like an urchin singing nursery rhyme, in his guttural and hoarse voice:
“President Tinubu, on your mandate l shall stand”. President Tinubu, Wike is not
standing on any mandate. He is standing on his opportunistic position as a
Minister. If at the end of his tenure as Minister let us see whether he will
still be singing on your mandate I shall stand.
“Mr. President, I humbly submit that given my age and status
as a senior citizen of Nigeria, I cannot accept on behalf of my people any
actions that undermine or violate the provisions of the 1999 Federal
Constitution of Nigeria as amended. As you well known, I have served the
country in different capacity including serving in the same cabinet with three
colleagues at the time (General Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and
General Olusegun Obasanjo), all of whom later became President of this country.
That some of us have kept quiet on issues such as this is not because we are
afraid to speak out but for the respect and support which we have for your
office. I have seen a lot in politics and governance, both in Nigeria and
around the world. What may seem
irrelevant to you today can become a major difficulty to the government in no
time. As one old enough to be your
father since you are only 73 years old, I advise again, let this small fire in
Rivers State be quenched immediately and not allowed to conflagrate further.
“Specifically, I am calling on you to tread the path of
great honour as a self-professed democrat in bringing the very troubling
situation in Rivers State to an immediate end. This is because not doing so
will appear as the proverbial Caesar sitting on his oars when Rome was burning. Let me remind you that the situation in
Rivers State is like a banana peel, and if nothing is done early, could engulf
everywhere.
“Once again, I want to express on behalf of our people in
the south-south our profound gratitude and appreciation for the patriotic and
authoritative release from the Presidency concerning the present situation in
Rivers State.
“Before I end, I thank you for the very gracious message of
congratulation which you sent to me on the occasion of my 97th birthday, and in
fact, it was largely publicised both nationally and internationally. Let me
assure you of my continued prayers as you steer the ship of our nation.”
According to Clark, “Nyesom Wike and the 27 former members
of the Assembly and the so called Chairman of the APC caretaker committee in
Rivers State, Mr. Tony Okocha, have been issuing inflammatory and provocative
statement harassing the Governor to the extent that he recently threatened to
impeach Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State.
“Another divisive and provocative statement made by Nyesom
Wike was on Sunday 7th January, 2024, during his confession having hand in the
impeachment of the governor, because of the governor’s hand to impeach the
former Speaker and some members of the Rivers State House Assembly.
“He continued his public outburst at a so called grand New
Year luncheon at the banquet hall of his private residence in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. Speaking on the Rivers crisis he said;
“Ask people why this matter came to this level. When people
went and plotted the removal of the Speaker you think we would fold our hands
to remove the Speaker an Obio/Akpor son?”
“But unfortunately, he miscalculated, when he directed the
Speaker, his kinsman, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and the 26 members to defect
from PDP, the political party that sponsored them to the APC that does not have
a single member in the Rivers State House of Assembly, gleefully singing APC
song and waving APC flag. They did not realize that by their action, they
automatically lost their seats in accordance with the 1999 Constitution as
amended and the series of Supreme Court judgement on the same matter. The
remaining four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who did not defect
also went to court. Since the former Speaker, Martins Amaewhule was also
included in the defection who later became the Speaker went to court where the
court confirmed his defection that those who defected including the Speaker
have lost their seat in the State House of Assembly, and also approved Martins
Amaewhule as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly who
thereafter duly informed the Chairman of Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu about their decision. There is strong
evidence that APC under the leadership of Tony Okocha held a very successful
reception where the defected former members of the Rivers State House of
Assembly were received into APC with fan fare.
“Recently, when he was addressing the former lawmaker
representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency in the House of Assembly, who defected from
PDP to APC, Wike declared that;
“Let me say this clearly; Arnold, don’t be frightened that
anybody would remove you as an Assembly member. Nobody will remove you as an
Assembly member.
“Most of you don’t understand. This (politics) is our work.
What l am doing is to make them fear; to make them angry. I have no other job
than to make them angry every day, to make them make mistakes every day. And
they will be in trouble every day. So, don’t worry about yourselves”.
“Mr. President, you can see clearly the wicked and
mischievous confession of your Minister Nyesom Wike sabotaging the
democratically elected Governor of Rivers State and his legitimate administration
in order to bring down the government because he want to be leader and continue
maintaining his structure in Rivers State.
“Nyesom Wike has definitely danced naked in the market with
one leg in PDP and the second leg in APC, using the two legs to create crisis
and insecurity in his own State, Rivers State and it may be too late for Mr.
President to discover him.
“The PDP from which the so called 27 defected members of
Rivers State House of Assembly was in the same position like Labour Party in
Ondo State. No split, no faction. In fact, Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi
Fubara of Rivers State attended the full caucus meeting of the PDP and the NEC
meeting of PDP held at the PDP headquarter on Thursday 18th April, 2024, and
both the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary,
Samuel Anyanwu, from Imo State, who the so called 27 members cited as a
division in PDP because the Secretary was in court against PDP at the time. So,
the so called 27 members terribly mis-calculated and they automatically lost
their seat and there is no provision in the constitution for them to return
back. Therefore the new strategy mischievously been adopted by Nyesom Wike and
his co-travellers is to arrange with the PDP acting National Chairman and its
legal advisers to obtain an injunction in favour of the 27 former members of
the Rivers State House of Assembly that they were still members of PDP because
they did not followed due process when they defected from PDP to APC on Monday
11th December, 2023.
“Mr. President, even though you trusted Nyesom Wike to the
extent of appointing him as Minister of FCT, you did not really know who Nyesom
Wike is.
“At this juncture, with kind permission of Richard Akinlola,
a well known columnist in one of his column narrated who Nyesom Wike is to the
average Nigerians even though you must have heard the same from your capable
and intelligent media officials;
“Wike is only loyal to himself and nobody else, irrespective
of his feigned allegiance. He may kowtow and genuflect before a political
leader, as he is currently doing in Abuja, but once he can no longer use you,
he goes into a fit of incoherent vituperative verbal assault, denigrating his
benefactors.”
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