A chieftain of Afenifere, Dr Femi Okurounmu, has been advised to refrain from engaging in discussions that could undermine his reputation as an elder statesman, particularly on issues where his objectivity may be questioned.
Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on Public Communications and New Media to Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, responded to Okurounmu’s recent claims that President Bola Tinubu has been inactive regarding the ongoing crisis in Rivers State.
Olayinka challenged Okurounmu to clarify what actions he believed the president should have taken.
“It is puzzling that a former Senator like Dr Okurounmu would choose to ignore the rampant disobedience of court rulings by Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and the implications this has for democracy and national stability,” Olayinka said.
He also pointed out that Dr. Okurounmu is notably the first Senator suspended by his peers out of the seven Senators suspended since 1999.
Responding to accusations that Wike is the primary instigator of the Rivers crisis, Olayinka questioned when Wike ever claimed to want Fubara to act merely as a surrogate, insisting that Okurounmu, as an elder, should reflect on his contributions to Fubara’s ascendancy to power.
“In Yorubaland, elders mediate disputes by listening to both sides and not rushing to blame them from a distance, as Dr Okurounmu seems to prefer.
“Was it Wike who set the Rivers State House of Assembly ablaze, hindering elected officials from performing their duties? Was it Wike who allowed only three of the thirty-two Assembly members to conduct legislative business, contrary to constitutional requirements?” he said.
Olayinka questioned Fubara’s disregard for court rulings, citing a recent Court of Appeal decision invalidating the state’s budget, which Governor Fubara continues to implement without compliance.
He expressed concern over Okurounmu’s apparent neglect of the risks posed by Fubara’s actions to the rule of law and Nigeria’s democratic integrity.
In addressing Okurounmu’s claims about President Tinubu’s perceived inaction, Olayinka asked, “What does Dr Okurounmu expect the President to do? Should he disregard judicial decisions and support Governor Fubara’s unlawful actions?”
