Kinsmen of the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, have said that the approach by President Bola Tinubu in resolving the political crisis in the state lacks principles of democracy.
The kinsmen, under the auspices of “Opobo Elder Statesmen for Sim,” also rejected the resolutions reached during the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The denouncement by the governor’s kinsmen stemmed from what they described as a lack of legal grounding within the agreement, and the heated debate over its legitimacy.
The group, in a communiqué issued after its emergency meeting in Port Harcourt yesterday, said within the constitutional framework, the president lacked the authority to meddle in the internal affairs of a state.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the chairman, Board of Trustees of the group, Alabo Reuben Mietamuno Saturday-Jaja; the chairman, Alabo Edwin Cockeye Brown and other executive council members.
The elders emphasized that Tinubu’s role primarily involves overseeing federal appointees and does not extend to dictating terms to a governor.
Pointing to constitutional limitations, the communiqué insisted that the president’s agreement cannot supersede court rulings, particularly those relating to legal proceedings such as impeachment or legislative matters.
They also challenged the directive to withdraw court cases, highlighting the constitutional provision that mandates vacant seats for legislators who decamped without adhering to party division or merger protocols.
The communiqué further insisted that only members of the Edison Ehie-led House of Assembly should be acknowledged as authentic representatives, delegitimising the positions of decamped legislators led by Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule.
