Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress candidate in the 2023 Rivers governorship election, has expressed concern that the ongoing political crisis in the South South State is harming its residents.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he highlighted that development in the state has stalled due to the power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike.
Cole’s comments followed the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold a Federal High Court ruling that invalidated the presentation and passage of the 2024 budget for Rivers State.
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He said, “As it stands right now, the people of Rivers do not matter in the equation that is being played out.
“If the interests of Rivers people were on the table, we would not even be where we are today. This entire fight is political, and it has to do with a very small political family.
“As we speak today, there is no development. The political battle is affecting the poor man on the street.”
Cole stated that Fubara is in a dangerous political situation that is affecting governance in the state.
He said, “The governor finds himself in a very precarious political situation. Of course, by presenting the budget back to that assembly, what this means is that the assembly led by Martins Amaewhule is recognised as the legal assembly.
“Once that happens, he has to now navigate a possible impeachment issue.
“We have a state where the governor is PDP, the house of assembly based on the court case is APC, and you have a local government structure that is APP. So, you have three different parties running the state.”
Wike Sends Message To Fubara On What To Do For Peace In Rivers
Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has urged his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, to adhere to the rule of law to ensure peace in the state.
Wike made this statement on Tuesday during his appearance as a guest on Channels Television’s *Politics Today*.
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“There is peace when you obey the rule of law. There is peace when you obey court judgements,” the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said.
Wike’s comment came in response to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, which has garnered significant attention in recent months due to a feud between him and Governor Fubara.
This dispute intensified recently, particularly surrounding the local government elections.
A court ruling had instructed the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) not to provide security for the elections and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to release the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Despite this, the Fubara administration went ahead with the local government elections on Saturday.
The newly elected chairpersons and councillors were sworn in on Monday, which sparked further violence in the state, including the burning of three local government council secretariats and the destruction of properties.
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In response to the violence, Fubara vowed to identify those responsible for the attacks and established a panel on Tuesday to investigate the incidents. However, Wike emphasized that Fubara should adhere to the court ruling to restore peace to Rivers State.
“Obey court judgement, and allow the rule of law to prevail. If you don’t obey the law, you are bringing anarchy,” he said.
“I was a governor, I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say that our state is turning into a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law.
“You must obey the judgement of the court. You must not take the law into your own hands. The moment you don’t obey court judgement, you are inviting anarchy, you are inviting violence,” Wike said.
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