Edwin Clark to Tinubu: Call Wike to order to avoid crisis in Rivers

Edwin Clark, convener of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has asked President Bola Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike, minister of the FCT, to order over the plan to remove Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers.

On Monday, the political crisis in the state took a turn for the worse over the plot to impeach the governor.

The governor said he was shot at and teargassed when he visited the state house of assembly which was partly razed on Sunday.

Ehie Edison — an ally of the governor — was subsequently removed as the house leader, but hours later, he was elected as the new speaker of the state assembly.

Reacting to the developing situation, Clark said Wike, the immediate past governor, orchestrated the impeachment “conspiracy” against Fubara.

He alleged that the former governor intended to install Martin Amaewhule, the former speaker, after successfully ousting Fubara.

“I have been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers state in the last 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the governor of Rivers state, His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, who has spent only about 5 months in office,” he said.

“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past governor of Rivers state and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the speaker of the house of assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the state. Let me warn strongly, we won’t allow that to happen!

“President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers state.

“We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all  Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta region by extension. The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the national economy.

“President Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers state in the interest of his administration, the nation’s democracy, and the country at large.”