Nigeria’s Opposition Lawmakers Coalition has accused the Rivers State sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), of allegedly administering crisis in the state with his pursuit what they called ‘Pro-Wike interest’ in an attempt to provoke the people and through the backdoor to continue to exercise authority over a people that did not elect him.
The Opposition lawmakers coalition in a statement by its spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, on Wednesday, warned the sole administrator to stop the reckless actions before he ignites crisis, urging him to leave Rivers and go contest for election if he wants to be president.
The Opposition lawmakers stated that Ibas lacked the powers to even dream of inviting the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara in decades to come, saying that the news of such invitation was a childish baseless joke from the group loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike and Ibas from Cross Rivers State.
They berated Ibas for some of his actions they said were unconstitutional, hence they will not stand the test of time.
“How can anyone believe that Ibas, a man from Cross River can issue summons against the elected Governor of Rivers State and you think that will make any sense to anybody. Even if it’s a game someone is playing, from now till 100 years, Ibas lacks capacity to issue a summon to Governor Sim Fubara and his deputy because they are not on same level. Fubara is an elected Governor while Ibas have no title known to law. There’s no such thing to my knowledge and even if there is something like that, Fubara will not answer it. That’s an elected Governor, still under oath, he has a tenure despite this interruption.
“This is someone that came purportedly to restore peace, even when there’s no war going on. Now he has left his assignment, talking about his administration, does he have an administration? He has an assignment that even not known to law . You’re sacking electoral commission, where has that happened before? You are not elected, you don’t have any constitutional power and then you say you’re dissolving state electoral commission because the Wike group wants you to go and conduct illegal election, it will be dead on arrival. Imagine presenting a budget when you have few months to go and you don’t have the powers to run an elected government and can’t be there to implement any budget.
“He’s stoking crisis and confusion in rivers state in playing the Pro-Wike card. Any local government election conducted in Rivers state that’s not conducted by the statutorily appointed commissioners of Rivers State electoral commission led by Retd Justice Enebeli is null and void. Governor Fubara is strong and not worried about any of this, the opposition is not worried too about the desecration of the democratic institution in the state by Ibas. You appoint impostors and you think you can conduct LG election and it will stand? It won’t stand!!! No one will honour it, it’s good you know it now and don’t go about wasting the resources of the people,” the lawmakers stated.
