The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has berated Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, over his allegations that the suspended Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, orchestrated recent militant attacks on pipelines in the state.
In a press release jointly signed by High Chief Peter Ameh and Comrade Mark Adebayo, CUPP described the accusations as “outrageous, baseless, and a hatchet job designed to shield FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, from blame.”
LEADERSHIP reports that the controversy erupted following President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, thereby suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Defending the President’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, Fagbemi alleged that Governor Fubara had been involved in directing militants to sabotage critical infrastructure.
However, CUPP dismissed the claims, accusing the Attorney-General of bias and selective justice. The opposition coalition questioned why Fagbemi failed to hold Wike accountable for violence linked to his supporters but swiftly blamed Fubara for an offence he did not commit.
“Where was the AGF when Wike’s supporters and former LGA chairmen forcefully took over councils, leading to burning and bombing of the council headquarters?” CUPP asked. “Why did the AGF not include Wike in the blame? Why did he not condemn it?”
CUPP also referenced an explosion that occurred during a protest by Wike’s supporters, where one of the demonstrators mistakenly detonated a bomb, losing his hands in the process.
“What did the AGF say about that incident? Why did he remain silent?” the coalition further questioned.
The opposition group also accused Wike of inflaming tensions in Rivers State through incendiary remarks, particularly in a recent media chat where he allegedly denigrated ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.
“It was well circulated on electronic and social media that the explosions in Gokana and ONELGA had earlier been predicted by Wike himself. During a media chat, he was quoted as saying: ‘What nonsense is that? Who told you Ogoni people cannot break pipelines? Who told you Ikwerre people cannot blow up pipelines? Who told you Ekpeye people cannot blow up pipelines?'”
According to CUPP, these remarks were “designed to create tension, disharmony, and justify the imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State.”
The coalition further accused the Rivers State House of Assembly of deliberately obstructing Governor Fubara from presenting the STATE’S 2025 budget, despite the Supreme Court’s directive.
“The Governor made genuine efforts to present the budget,” CUPP stated. “He wrote to the House, but it was rejected. He went to the Assembly himself, only to be locked out. He then proposed another date, but lawmakers adjourned indefinitely, returning only to serve him an impeachment notice.”
Describing the actions as a “coordinated plot to cripple the state government and justify emergency rule,” CUPP, therefore, called on President Tinubu to intervene and restrain the Attorney-General.
“We call on President Tinubu to call his AGF to order,”the coalition insisted. “We are also reiterating our decision to seek legal action to quash this latest assault on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, which has grave implications for the survival of democratic governance in Nigeria.”
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