Rivers Crisis: Fubara is Wike’s political investment – APC chairperson

The APC chairperson proffers a solution to Rivers's political crisis.

Caretaker Committee Chairperson of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has said that unless Governor Siminalayi Fubara abides by the law, the political crisis in the state will persist.

Mr Okocha said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja, reacting to the recent court ruling that cut off funding for the Rivers State Government.

Abuja Federal High Court, on Wednesday, retrained the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing funds from the federation account to the Rivers government.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in her ruling, held that Mr Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to constitutional provisions.

She described Mr Fubara’s receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January 2024 as nothing short of a constitutional aberration that must not be allowed.

The judge further held that Mr Fubara’s action in implementing an unlawful budget violated the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.

Blackmailing Tinubu, Wike?

In his reaction, Mr Okocha said “blackmailing” President Bola Tinubu and Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, over the court ruling would not solve the political crisis in the state.

He described Mr Fubara as Wike’s political investment, saying the governor was a “mere” civil servant before he was “lifted from a state of relative political obscurity to political crescendo” by the FCT minister.

Mr Okocha further stated that the governor was brought to politics and the limelight by Mr Wike.

“Wike is not, in any way, suffocating Fubara as is being alleged.

“Blackmailing President Tinubu and Wike psychologically over the recent court ruling will not help the case in Rivers because the law has to be followed.

“We stand with and by the court, and not with any strong man’s morality. It is not right for anyone to start proclaiming self-righteousness.

“Wike is innocent in the political crisis in Rivers and should, therefore, not be dragged into it,” Mr Okocha said.

He said the only way to bring peace to the state was for Governor Fubara to follow the law and abide by the court ruling, adding that “the law does not recognise sentiments but facts as presented.

“Wike brought Fubara to where he is today. He lifted him from obscurity to a political crescendo. Nobody is suffocating anybody. The fight in Rivers state is between Fubara and Fubara,” he said.

In defence of Wike

The APC chairperson added that the political crisis would have long ended if Mr Fubara had obeyed President Tinubu’s intervention in the first place.

According to him, Mr Fubara has been running the state without an approved budget, which is against the law.

He said it was unfortunate that those playing up “unnecessary sentiments” and backing the governor failed to see the illegality under his administration.

According to him, the governor should obey the law of the land, including the law regarding the state budget, to get out of the political crisis.

“We use this opportunity to speak against attempts to disparage innocent persons, namely: Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister. In all the court cases, there are about 32; he is not a party to any of them.

“If the governor had obeyed Justice Omotoso’s judgment; if he had listened to the counsel of President Tinubu; if he had listened to the Court of Appeal recently, all of these would have disappeared,” Mr Okocha stated.

On the recent attempt by some elders in the Niger Delta region to reconcile those involved in the Rivers crisis, Mr Okocha said such a move was too late.

He added that there was no point crying over spilt milk, wondering where those elders were when the political crisis started.

“If you ask me, the only other hurdle to escape is the Supreme Court. What are the elders coming to do at this late hour, if they actually would want to come?

“They are the same people who told the governor that he is a know-all and do-all; they encouraged him to believe that his head was bigger than his pillow.

“They told him his powers are elastic, and the governor agreed to that,” he said.

Mr Okocha added that most elders had “disappeared into thin air after lining their pockets while the governor was now on the hot seat”.

(NAN)