As President Bola Tinubu Receives Urgent Warning on Rivers’ Political Tension
The Ijaw National Congress, INC, has issued a dire warning to President Bola Tinubu to pay immediate attention to the escalating political tensions in Rivers State to prevent a breakdown of law and order. In a statement, INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba emphasized that the political crisis in Rivers was capable of breaching public peace and threatening democracy in the state.
Okaba’s concerns stemmed from the prolonged feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the political direction of the state. “Rivers is of special interest to the INC as many Ijaw people are indigenes of the state,” he said, stressing that the issues in Rivers went beyond political godfatherism and were about a desperate attempt to capture power at all costs.
Okaba also questioned why Local Government elections in Rivers, which took place simultaneously with those in Akwa-Ibom, Benue, and Jigawa, attracted such unprecedented levels of desperation and judicial involvement. He expressed worry about the over-interest displayed by the courts and Nigerian Police in the electoral drama, which has led to uncertainty and chaos in the state.
The INC president further urged those who disagreed with Governor Fubara to wait for the next election cycle instead of continuing their self-seeking activities, which could threaten democracy and hinder the development of Rivers and Nigeria. He warned that history could repeat itself if people refused to learn from the lessons of the past, referencing the truncated First Republic that resulted from the rivalry between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola in the defunct South-Western Nigeria.
Despite the turmoil, the INC president congratulated the newly elected chairmen and council members in Rivers. It remains to be seen how President Tinubu and the relevant authorities will respond to the warning and take measures to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.
