South-South leaders, PANDEF slam state of emergency declaration in Rivers

Several South-South leaders and stakeholders have strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

They also condemned what they described as undue support for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the people of the state.

“Ill-Advised Decision” – Nwoko, Ex-Akwa Ibom AG  

A former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, expressed his disapproval of the move, calling it an “ill-advised decision.” News360 reports that Nwoko emphasized that such actions could further destabilize the state rather than restore order.

“The President’s intervention in the Rivers State crisis has been one-sided. His actions and body language have encouraged the FCT Minister, Wike, to fuel the crisis up to this point.

“If Governor Fubara is blamed for not doing enough to handle the situation, what has the president done in response to Wike’s unnecessary outbursts, which laid the foundation for the tension in the past week?

“I think that an unbiased president should have called Wike to order or sack him to demonstrate his unbiased position in this matter. But from the onset, the president has been biased in favor of Wike, and that has not helped in the resolution of the crisis.

We’re studying situation – PANDEF

Also,the apex socio-political body for the South-South geopolitical zone, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said yesterday it was studying the situation and would soon come up with its position.A statement yesterday by PANDEF’s National Spokesman, Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, read: ‘’PANDEF is seriously alarmed by the state of emergency declared in Rivers State due to a crisis that is ordinarily avoidable. We are, therefore, studying the situation and we shall soon come up with Pandef’s position.”

Well-oiled script—Clarkson, ex-MOSIEND spokesperson

According to Amaebi Clarkson, former national spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), “I am sure the governor would challenge the constitutionality or legality of the state of emergency. But politically, the emergency is in bad faith and obviously, the execution of a well-oiled script hatched in furtherance of the 2027 election.’’

“The president did not act like a president of the entire nation, but rather he took sides with his minister to punish the governor and left out any punishment to his appointee. He executed the plan of Wike.

“Firstly, Wike goaded the Ijaw by going to their homeland to provoke them, but he did get the needed reaction. Then the next day, there was an explosion in an oil facility, and shortly before the broadcast, there was another explosion, which he hinged upon as one of the core reasons for the declaration.

“I also think that members of the governor’s tribe were not strategic. They were too flippant with threats, which the opposition may have capitalized on.”

This is oppression – Princewill, IYC

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a clear “case of oppression and intimidation of Ijaw people.”

Spokesman of IYC, Amb Binebai Princewill, said: “We condemn the state of emergency declared on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, the reason being that we have states that have been boiling and grappling with insurgency; Boko Haram and herdsmen have held sway, perhaps, because it is Ijaw matter.

“We see it as a case of oppression and intimidation meted out on the Ijaw people and the people of Rivers State in particular, and for the man who fuelled the whole crisis—nothing has been done or said about him.”

Opportunity for Wike, Fubara, lawmakers to bury hatchet —Idahosa

An elder statesman and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Hon Charles Idahosa, said the declaration of a state of emergency by President Tinubu was an opportunity for the warring parties to find a meeting point and resolve the political crisis in the state.”

“Fubara did not thread softly at all; all the politically hungry people in Rivers State took advantage of it by giving him wrong advice. Now that the president has declared a state of emergency, this is the time for them to take the opportunity—himself, the legislators, and the Minister of the FCT should come together and find a solution to their differences.

“They should see if they can prevail on the presidency to find a solution to the crisis in these first six months because it will be very difficult for the presidency to be calling them. He did that before, but they did not listen.”