The Rivers Crisis: Growing calls for Governor Fubara to abandon PDP

-

 The intense political situation in the state of Rivers took an intriguing turn on Thursday. According to the Appeal Court's ruling in Abuja, Martins Amaewhule and his group of twenty-six Assembly members saw some measure of relief.


Governor Fabura 



As a result of the ruling, which further strangled the political system in Rivers and heightened the already intense political tension, the ardent supporters of former governor and serving minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, celebrated wildly in his camp. The judgement gave the minister a slight advantage over Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the ongoing political war of attrition.

The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt lacked the authority to decide whether Martins Amaewhule and his colleagues' defection was lawful, according to the ruling of the appeal court's judge.

The G-60 Federal Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in the National Assembly responded to the ruling by arguing that the Pro-Wike 27 fired Rivers lawmakers should still be fired and that their seats should remain vacant because the Appeal Court did not rule on the legality of their unlawful decampment or the declaration of their seats vacant. Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere stated that the Appeal body simply upheld the Rivers State High Court's verdict, holding that the Federal High Court was the proper body with power to determine whether decampment was lawful or unlawful.

Nevertheless, Chief Tony Okocha, the APC's caretaker committee chairman in Rivers state, retorted, saying, "Justice was served; the venerated Justice of the Court of Appeal's reasoning, which served as the cornerstone of their unanimous decision, is very sound and unimpeachable."

REQUEST TO LEAVE PDP 

Some people who support the state governor, Siminalyi Fubara, have suggested leaving the PDP in light of the current crisis. This is in response to the party's clear lack of support, both nationally and locally, for the governor in spite of his predicament.

Political pundit Franklin Ntekim clarified that the governor "clearly does not enjoy the support of the party" in light of the PDP's national leadership's apparent disregard for him. It is also obvious that the FCT minister must have gained the party for himself, making the governor dislike the PDP in the state. I would like him to quit the PDP. In light of the struggles the governor is facing, I fail to see why Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president and front-runner for president in the 2023 elections, has declined to pay the governor a visit. It is really hard to accept. It blatantly demonstrates a party that is indifferent to its own but dances to the whims and caprices of a single man.

Human rights advocate Solomon Lenu backed the demand that Fubara leave the PDP as well. He said, "If Fubara stays in the PDP to run the LG election in October, he will not be able to win any election in the state." The Minister's ally is the PDP state chairman. Recall that he turned down the invitation to the state electoral commission's (RSIEC) Monday stakeholder meeting. I worry that the party might decide not to provide the governor's candidates with election tickets.

The governor should thus look elsewhere without delay in order to save his political career. The Convener of the Ogoni Development Drive, ODD, stated that the SDP or Accord party might be a good choice for the governor. I don't want him to join the Labour Party by accident since some influential elements in Abuja have taken control of the party's national leadership. There is some popularity in the state for the two parties that were previously stated. Although these forces have prevented it, I would have preferred the Labour party.

Remember how 60 PDP members of the House of Representatives called for the resignation of Umar Damagum, the party's acting national chairman, in April because he had not addressed the political situation in Rivers state? The 60 lawmakers, led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, the PDP member for Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, accused Damagum of working for the APC, which appointed Wike as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and siding with Wike among other things.

Have Nigerians questioned Damagum's silence in light of the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected from the PDP after being elected on its platform? While they were threatening to remove a governor from his party, he remained silent. Nigerians will be startled to learn that, despite referring to himself as a party chairman, Umar Damagum was consulted and fully informed of the specifics of the scheme to impeach the governor of Rivers State. He even gave his consent to the plot. Ugochinyere has claimed, "This entire episode is utterly shameless."

The governor is the leader of the PDP in Rivers state, according to Hon. Evans Bapakaye Bipi, the director general of Simplified Movement, Governor Fubara's grassroots political organisation, who played off the calls for the governor to defect. He hasn't indicated to us where we should go. We would travel anywhere he wishes us to go, he declared. Former House of Assembly Chief Whip Bipi declared the decision of the Appeal Court to be "fair." He asserted that the Judge was correct when he stated that the Port Harcourt High Court lacked the authority to consider the issue. "A declarative judgement was absent. The Judge refrained from discussing defection. We currently have two parallel assemblies, according to Bipi.

Elder statesman and head of the pan-Niger Delta Elders forum, PANDEF, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, responded to the request for Fubara's defection by stating that it was premature to begin calling for the governor to quit the PDP. "I think the game is getting more obvious. However, it is premature to do so. Sara-Igbe, a former security advisor to the state administration of Rivers, stated, "The governor has the option to leave if he is uncomfortable with his party." It is evident that the PDP's current leadership is leaning in a different direction. It's too early in the day, as I mentioned. Let's wait and see what transpires—perhaps in 2027."

LP: We are open for business

If the governor was prepared to join the party, the doors of the party in the state would be open, according to Hilda Dokubo, the Labour Party's state chairman for Rivers. The governor is a national of Nigeria. He is quite free to travel wherever he pleases. He has the unalienable right to choose whether to attend our celebration or not. Wherever you are not valued or welcomed, you have to leave. He ought to go for a walk if he believes he is in a harmful scenario. Rivers' men are going wherever the governor decides to go. They'll stand by him. We will be happy to have him at my party if he decides to attend.

Gov. Fubara: The PDP has let us down in Rivers.

Governor Fubara made a jab at the PDP just a month ago, claiming that the party had let the people of Rivers state down. He said that since the start of the political crisis, the party leadership has not fulfilled the expectations placed on it. "Today, parties are not done in our state. You shouldn't hold it against me if I don't constantly align with the party since we are in the midst of a movement. Since the party has let us down in this situation, we are defending democracy by taking a stance with both of our legs planted firmly in Rivers State.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

In Lagos, Davido marries Chioma (pictures, videos)

-
Image
 Grammy-nominee and Nigerian megastar David Adeleke, better known by his stage as Davido, and his longtime wife Chioma Rowland, also known as Chefchi, have married the knot. Today, the couple celebrated their traditional church wedding and star-studded nuptials in Lagos. A number of prominent citizens from the commercial, political, and entertainment sectors attended the event. Davido was spotted posing in the vibrant pictures with his fiancée, Chioma, while sporting both traditional Yoruba and Igbo clothing looks. The 30 BG boss shared a set of pre-wedding pictures of his fiancée wearing various ensembles on Sunday. He used the hashtag "#CHIVIDO2024" as a comment for the pictures. The musician talked candidly about his relationship with Chioma in a recent interview, stating that they had known one other before he became well-known and wealthy. Davido thanked her for introducing him to her at that time, reflecting on how difficult it would have been for him to date now beca...
Read more

Edo 2024: We will win thanks to the achievements of our candidates in their constituencies says APC

-
Image
 The performance of the party's governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Senator Dennis Idahosa, in their senatorial district and federal constituency, according to Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Campaign Organization, yesterday, would propel the party to victory in the state's September 21 governorship election.  In an interview with reporters in Benin City, Urhoghide further characterized as disparaging remarks made by the opposition that Okpebholo was incapable and incompetent, adding that his ability to put together capable individuals to lead the party to victory in his senatorial election is indicative of his exceptional administrative ability.  In his own words: "Anyone who suggests that our candidate lacks competence is being quite disparaging. It seems premature, in my opinion, to declare someone incompetent. The ability to arrange eggheads together indicates administrative skill, ...
Read more

Peter Obi claims there's no justification for Nnamdi Kanu's ongoing detention.

-
Image
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and other freedom fighters who are incarcerated should be released, according to a request made by Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the general elections of 2023. Obi stated that the IPOB leader should not be kept in custody, especially when he has been freed by national courts. The former governor of Anambra State issued this appeal while addressing reporters on Saturday in Onitsha, Anambra State. He also urged officials to step up their efforts to combat insecurity, warning that if nothing was done, the nation might descend into failure. "I don't see any reason for his continuous detention, especially since the courts have granted him bail," stated Obi, who also addressed other topics. The court is supreme over the government. "We must value and coexist with the rule of law as a complex asset. I would like to take this opportunity to beg the Federal Government to make sure that...
Read more