The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has been vindicated by the recent revelation made by the state’s former Head of Service, Dr George Nwaeke that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara initiated the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Rivers State APC had on October 29, 2023, accused suspended Governor Fubara as being the brain behind the bombing of the House of Assembly .
Nwaeke had recently said the governor directed his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie to carry out the attack on the Assembly Complex to prevent his impeachment by lawmakers aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory !FCT), Barr Nyesom Wike.
Reacting to the claim, the APC State chairman, Tony Okocha on Wednesday said his party is now vindicated by the former Head of Service
Okocha emphasised that Nwaeke as the Head of Service in Rivers state at the time, was the number three man in the state, as such, his account cannot be hearsay.
“The public revelation made by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service in Rivers State a few days ago, on how the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara initiated and authored the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly has vindicated the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
“Recall that the APC in Rivers State through her irrepressible State Chairman, Sir (Chief) Tony C. Okocha, DSSRS, JP, have been accusing suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of being the brain behind what Rivers people woke up to witness on October 29, 2023, the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an edifice comparable to none in the 36 States across Nigeria.
“Tax payers’ money in Rivers State was wasted in a way and manner that cannot be forgotten in a hurry amidst scarce resources, and global economic crunch. As if that wasn’t enough, the suspended governor went a step further in less than 48 hours after the bombing to personally supervise the pulling down of the assembly complex, while his supporters cheered him on,” he said.
Okocha also said the revelation by Nwaeke further corroborated the position of the Rivers APC that Fubara was the architect of the entire political crisis in the state, leading to the swift intervention of President Bola Tinubu, with the declaration of a state of emergency to restore law and order, and forestall a total breakdown of peace in the State.
“In a press release by Dr George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service in Rivers State, he stated categorically that the political crisis was “orchestrated by Fubara himself.
“According to Dr George Nwaeke, the governor directed his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, to carry out the attack on the Assembly complex to prevent his impeachment by lawmakers aligned with Minister Nyesom Wike.
“Dr George Nwaeke even went as far as to reveal how he witnessed a cash handover to Edison Ehie for the purpose of the attack. What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again, it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers state as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers state,” the APC chairman said.
He said the revelations made by the former Head of Service has further positioned APC as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers state in 2027.
“The APC in Rivers State is strong in her belief that the relevant Security Agencies will be professional enough to get at the root cause of this whole matter, and make such public.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned HoS, will not deter the Statesman from unveiling the rots of Sim Fubara’s which we harped on as opposition political party. On this matter, APC shall function as watchdogs,” Okocha added.
