Bala Mohammed: Tinubu has intervened in Rivers political crisis — there’ll be peace

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, says President Bola Tinubu has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers state.

Mohammed, who is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, spoke with journalists on Tuesday at the presidential villa after attending the Nigeria police council meeting.

Mohammed said with the president’s intervention, peace would be restored in the state.

“We had a closed session. You will recall, members of the press, where a very serious national issue was discussed that has security implications: That is the problem emerging in Rivers,” he said.

“Mr president, in his usual leadership position, intervened and it would appear there will be peace in that respect.”

The political crisis in the state took a new turn on Monday as some lawmakers in the assembly moved to impeach Siminalayi Fubara, the governor.

Ehie Edison, Fubara’s ally, was summarily removed as the leader of the house of assembly but hours later, he was elected as the new speaker.

The crisis in the state is linked to a rumoured rift between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of the state and current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

On Tuesday, Wike and Fubara met at the presidential Villa — the first sit-down since the latest political crisis in the state.

The PDP had called on all actors in the state to “sheathe their swords and allow for a peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues”.

Meanwhile, the PDP governors have commended Tinubu for intervening in the crisis in the south-south state.

The PDP governors’ position is contained in a communique issued on Tuesday after their meeting in Abuja.

The governors said while they were “alarmed at the recent developments in Rivers”, they welcomed the “intervention” by Tinubu to “bring the crises to an end”.

The governors asked all party stakeholders in the state to “sheath their sword and resort to peaceful means of resolution”.