In a fresh bid to arrest the lingering political impasse in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, struck a deal among the stakeholders in the state.
Bringing the warring factions to the table in a tense meeting yesterday, Tinubu secured an eight-point resolution signed by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor Siminalayi Fubara, along with other major players in the dispute.
The breakthrough deal, a copy of which was obtained by our reporters, sets out specific steps each side pledged to take to de-escalate tensions that many feared could turn violent.
Other signatories of the resolution are the national security adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; deputy governor of Rivers State, Dr Ngozi Ordu; Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and loyalist of the FCT minister, Martin Amaewhule; acting chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chukwuemeka Aaron, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee chairman, Chief Tony Okocha.
Also present at the meeting was former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili.
Tinubu had in October met with Wike and Fubara at the presidential villa, Abuja, shortly after the rift came to national limelight.
The president’s intervention followed an impeachment move against the governor, which led to a divided House of Assembly, amid legal battles.
The tussle degenerated further last week as 27 House of Assembly members loyal to Wike defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to the declaration of their seats as vacant by the lawmakers loyal to Governor Fubara.
The battle escalated with the resignation of nine commissioners from Fubara’s administration. The cabinet members had served in Wike’s administration in different capacities.
However, following Tinubu’s fresh intervention yesterday, the resolution after the meeting directed Governor Fubara to withdraw all matters he has before the courts, just as it directed the State House of Assembly to drop all impeachment processes it initiated against the governor.
It also directed that the Amaewhule’s leadership of the House of Assembly be recognised, just as it directed Governor Fubara to re-present the state’s 2024 Budget to the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
“All matters instituted in the courts by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
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Some of the resolutions include: “The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
“The remunerations and benefits of All members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government.
“The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.
“There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the local government administration is null and void and shall not be recognised,” among others.
Rivers Elders Urge Tinubu To Consolidate Intervention In Crisis
Meanwhile, Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum (RELF) had earlier urged President Tinubu to consolidate on his initial intervention in the raging political crisis.
The elders warned that the consequences of the president’s inaction may not only affect the state, but also the Niger Delta region and the federal government.
In a communique issued in Port Harcourt, they expressed regret that neither Governor Fubara nor the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, had responded to its letters seeking audience with them.
The communique, which was signed by former governor of Old Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada-George, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe and 12 others, said it was unacceptable to attempt to impeach Fubara without explaining the reasons behind such attempt to the people of the state.
The elders, who met under the leadership of a former governor of the state, Ada George, decried the attempt to impeach the governor, bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly Chambers, alleged attack on the governor’s life by some security agents in October and “other acts of impunity and lawlessness which portend great dangers to the peace and security of Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole.”
The elders lamented that the disturbing political impasse was generating serious tension in the state and urged “the judiciary and all security agencies to be wary and alive in discharging their responsibilities in order not to worsen the already tense atmosphere in Rivers State.”
The forum’s communique after the meeting urged the president “to consolidate on his earlier intervention as the consequences of inaction may affect not only Rivers State but also the Niger Delta region and the entire country.
The leaders also condemned every form of violence and lawlessness in the state and demanded proper investigation into the crisis, adding that those responsible be brought to justice.
