Rufus Ada George, former Governor of Rivers State, has publicly accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of being the architect behind the current political turmoil in Rivers State.
This includes the alleged imposition of a state of emergency and the Controversial Decision To Appoint Sole Administrators In All 23 LGAs
Ada George, who held the governorship from 1992 to 1993 and is now the chairman of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, made these accusations during a press briefing held in response to the recent political events in the state.
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He said, “The FCT Minister is the architect of all these things,” accusing him of fanning the flames of instability after failing to impose his political agenda on the state’s leadership.
“He could set ablaze states where the governors did not share his views,” he said. “And that is exactly what I think he is trying to do in Rivers State. Enough is enough. We will not allow him to set Rivers State ablaze anymore.”
The elder statesman stated that the minister was in Rivers State just days before the announcement of the appointments.
“He was reported to have been here on the 7th, Monday evening, traversing the whole place, visiting the military administrator. Then following that, this announcement came through.”
He strongly condemned the appointments, describing them as unconstitutional and an assault on democratic governance.
“The appointment of sole administrators is unconstitutional,” he said. “There are laid down legal processes for constituting local government leadership. This action undermines those principles.”
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While insisting that the forum will continue to seek peaceful solutions, Ada George warned that Rivers people would not fold their arms in the face of provocation.
“We cannot go physical… but we will resist in any form that will attempt to disrupt or disorganize this state.”
Despite the heightened tension in Rivers State, the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum expressed their hope that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to de-escalate the situation and facilitate dialogue.
Ada George stated, “We hoped he would consult with stakeholders for peacebuilding, to calm tensions, and to resolve the issues between the two parties—not escalate them.”
Quoting Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ada George appealed for calm, saying, “Surulere, Surulere”—meaning be patient, be silent.
He added, “And I am going to borrow the words of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to say Surulere, Surulere to all those who are involved in these activities.”
He also revealed that the Rivers Elders Forum had reached out in writing to both Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike at the beginning of the crisis but had not received any response.
“We did communicate in writing to both the warring parties… but unfortunately, we didn’t have the courtesy of receiving a reply from any of them.”
The forum affirmed its commitment to resolving the crisis through legal means. “We will go to court where necessary. We have cases in court at the moment, and we will continue,” Ada George asserted.
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