- PDP calls for peace among members
President Bola Tinubu has stepped into the political situation in Rivers State.
The President, on Tuesday, met with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Tinubu met with the two politicians at the Aso Villa in Abuja.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State disclosed this after the Nigeria Police Council meeting held at the Villa on Tuesday.
According to him, the President intervened in the political and security situation unfolding in Rivers State.
The meeting of the President with the two politicians who are members of the People’s Democratic Party followed the impeachment proceedings launched against Fubara by the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday.
The governor was accused of acts of gross misconduct unbecoming of his office.
The Assembly complex was turned to a confusion theatre after fire gutted a section on Sunday night and the attendant drama that occurred on Monday morning with the removal of principal officers in the Assembly as gunshots rent the air.
Fubara had stormed the Complex on Monday to see the level of the damage and alleged that he was shot at by the police, an allegation the police said was being probed.
PDP calls for peace among members
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the PDP has called on all members and actors of the party involved in the ongoing political crisis rocking Rivers State to allow peace to reign.
The party in a statement, on Tuesday, made the call through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
“The NWC urges all PDP members and supporters to be calm and assures that it has commenced processes, using the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure that all matters and areas of disagreement are addressed.
“The NWC therefore charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and members of our great party in Rivers State to close ranks, unite and focus on the onerous task of governance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the people,” the statement read.
Fubara denies sacking Rivers CJ, CoS, others
Also, Governor Fubara has denied reports in a section of the media that he had sacked the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi; his Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi; and suspended the Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas.
Speculations were also rife that the governor sacked his Chief Security Officer in the wake of the crisis that rocked the State House of Assembly following the move to impeach him and the ensuing pandemonium.
Some media outfits earlier reported that Fubara wielded the big stick against the aforementioned loyalists of former governor and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to stamp his authority.
Fubara’s CoS, Amadi, is Wike’s kinsman from Obio/Akpor LGA. Amadi was appointed under the Wike-led administration while the Secretary to the State Government, Tamyy Danagogo, served in the same capacity under Wike.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Johnson, in a statement issued on Tuesday said there was no iota of truth in the said reports in various media platforms which he described as unfounded.
Johnson described Fubara as a ‘technocrat with robust civil service background’ and a kind-hearted individual who does things according to laid down rules and with the fear of God.
The statement entitled ‘Unfounded Reports’ read, “There had been unfounded reports making the rounds on various media platforms about His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, sacking certain categories of his aides and local council chairmen.
“This is to clarify that His Excellency has not given me such a directive as the official spokesman of the state government as of today, Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
“Our dear governor is a technocrat, with a robust civil service background, kind-hearted and a very humane person who does things according to lay down rules and with the fear of God.
“We therefore ask Rivers people and the general public to jettison such unconfirmed reports as the public will be properly informed of who may have been removed by His Excellency at the appropriate time.
“It is pertinent to note that as the Commissioner for Information and Communication, I shall keep the public updated on events in due course.”
