A Call to Calm the Storm: Ijaw National Congress Appeals to President Tinubu to Intervene in Rivers State
Abuja, Nigeria – The Ijaw National Congress, INC, has urged President Bola Tinubu to step in and resolve the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, cautioning that the situation could have far-reaching consequences for the country.
In a press conference in Abuja, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, lamented that the power tussle between Mr. Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, and Governor Siminialayi Fubara over the control of political machinery in the oil-rich state is threatening to destabilize the state and potentially the nation as a whole.
According to Okaba, the INC is concerned that if left unchecked, the crisis could spread to other parts of the country, leading to national disintegration and anarchy. He called on President Tinubu to use his leadership to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table and find a lasting solution to the problem.
Okaba also alleged that Wike’s power tussle with Fubara may be connected to the minister’s desire to enhance Tinubu’s electoral fortunes in the next general polls. “We understand the dictates of politics and the need to harvest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections,” he said. “But what we misunderstand is the thought that only the FCT minister can assist the President to win Rivers.”
The INC president praised Governor Fubara for his faithfulness to President Tinubu’s 8-point directive to both parties, adding that the minister, on the other hand, acted otherwise by refusing to withdraw court cases instituted by him. “Less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Fubara obeyed the Supreme Court order that local government areas in Nigeria must be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withheld,” Okaba noted.
The development comes as the state is still reeling from the aftermath of a local government election in which 25 members of the Rivers House of Assembly defected to the opposition All People’s Congress. Okaba urged President Tinubu to act swiftly to restore peace to the state and prevent further destabilization of the country.
As the President’s alter ego and father of the nation, we implore you to call the FCT Minister to order and use your leadership to bring the warring parties together to find a lasting solution to this crisis. This is for the sake of peace and security in Nigeria, and we hope you will take the necessary steps to avert the impending disaster,” Okaba said.
With this appeal, the Ijaw National Congress has once again underlined its commitment to promoting peace, stability, and good governance in Nigeria.
