Former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has asserted that the conflict between the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is fundamentally a dispute over the distribution of funds.
Amaechi made this claim during an interview with DW Africa on Saturday.
He also stated that President Bola Tinubu’s imposition of emergency rule on the state was unconstitutional.
Read Also: Fubara Replies Former Head Of Service Allegations Against Him Concerning Rivers Crisis [FULL STATEMENT]
He said, “The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what is the quarrel? Nigerians don’t dislike corruption anymore. I’ve not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is?
“We are now denied democracy. Rivers State is the only state in the country currently not enjoying democracy. They have imposed military rule on us.
“Secondly, the president acted outside the Constitution. Section 188 states how a governor can leave office, either by death, resignation, or impeachment. It didn’t say that one day you wake up and a man called the president of Nigeria will throw you out of office, which makes democracy unstable.”
Read Also: Why NBA Declared Tinubu’s State Of Emergency In Rivers As Unconstitutional And Illegal – Wike
The former minister emphasized that President Tinubu is involved in the Rivers State situation because he aims to consolidate power by removing governors who might not support him in the 2027 general election.
“Rumours are everywhere that if any governor is not careful, the president will remove you. So the Rivers issue is about sharing money and 2027 politics.
“If the President said that the pipe that exploded was the reason why he tagged Rivers unstable and insecure by declaring a state of emergency, what about the other parts of the country where there is insecurity? Is the President saying that they should impose an emergency rule on him? They can’t because he is a democratically elected President. There are insecurity issues in the North East and North West, even in the South East and South South.
“The governor has no responsibility for the blown pipes in Rivers. Security responsibility rests solely on the President. Why punish a man who did not commit any offence?”
He advised the people of Rivers State to resist the emergency rule imposed by the president and encouraged them to protest the decision.
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
