Tinubu’s effort to reconcile Wike and Fubara failed – Rivers APC
On Thursday, Tony Okocha, the caretaker committee chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s attempts to resolve the conflict between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Simi Fubara, Wike’s successor as Rivers State Governor, were unsuccessful.
Despite recent reports suggesting a meeting between the President, Wike, and Fubara to address the discord, the crisis persisted.
A noteworthy development was the defection of the 27 lawmakers aligned with Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC. In response, lawmakers supportive of the state governor declared their seats vacant and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to organize fresh elections to fill the vacancies.
Amid the ongoing controversy, the state government took action on Wednesday by demolishing the House of Assembly complex.
The rationale cited was the building’s unsafe condition for legislative activities, citing a recent explosion. The governor then presented the 2024 budget to the five lawmakers aligned with him, who convened inside the Government House.
During a press conference at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Okocha expressed his belief that the reconciliation attempt, despite not being involved in the President’s intervention, has collapsed.
“I may not have been involved, but whatever transpired has completely and irreversibly broken down,” he stated. Okocha went on to highlight that four members of the state House of Assembly, under the leadership of a factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, engaged in illegitimate actions by convening and endorsing the budget presented by Fubara for the 2024 fiscal year.
Additionally, Okocha mentioned the APC’s efforts to attract Wike to join the party, emphasizing that upon his membership, Wike would assume the role of the party’s leader in the state.
He also asserted that the 27 embattled members of the House of Assembly do not require the now-demolished House of Assembly complex or a physical structure to fulfill their legislative duties.
According to him, the House of Assembly can function anywhere, emphasizing that as long as the mace is present, members can convene in any location. He pointed out that the 27 lawmakers met and endorsed resolutions even after the building demolition.
Furthermore, Okocha highlighted that even when the building faced damage from fire, the governor did not initiate an inquiry or form a committee to investigate the incident, implying a perceived involvement.
He remarked that the government’s action on Wednesday, demolishing the structure, was aimed at establishing a fait accompli for the defected members. However, he emphasized the party’s commitment to challenging illegitimate actions and preventing the harassment of any lawmaker.
“We want to affirm our solidarity with the lawmakers. Their actions are not unprecedented; defections are a common occurrence.
In 2014, the PDP experienced a significant exodus as the party faced challenges. The implosion within the PDP in Rivers State has resulted in opportunities for us.
We want to make it clear to the governor that he cannot sustain his governance through illegal means. I’ve directed the legal adviser to file a petition with the NJC, reporting the judge for issuing that questionable judgment.”