Rivers Crisis: Clark Petitions IGP Over Wike, Fubara Feud
…says planned impeachment by 27 former lawmakers, invitation to anarchy
A former Minister of Information and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum ( PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on the rising political tension in Rivers State following the recent threat by some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Mr Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of the state.
In an open letter dated Tuesday, May 7, 2024, and addressed to the IGP, the elder statesman warned that the threat by the 27 former members of the State House of Assembly to impeach Fubara is likely to cause the breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.
New Telegraph gathered that copies of the petition have also been sent to other security Chiefs, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General of the Department of State Services (DG DSS), Director General National Intelligence Agency (DG NIA) and Director Military Intelligence (DMI).
Clark recalled that the protracted crisis began after Chief Nyesom Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State parted ways with Fubara, his political godson and successor. According to him, the duo parted ways because of the Wike’s ambition to control the politics and governance of the state while serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. He said that despite several efforts to reconcile the two political gladiators including a controversial peace deal by President Bola Tinubu, peace is yet to return to Rivers State.
Clark also alleged that the crisis had continued to fester because of Wike’s frequent provocative utterances against Fubara and the constant moves by some former state legislators loyal to him (Wike ) to impeach Fubara.
He said that going by the events of Monday, December 11, 2023, where 27 members of the Rivers Assembly elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) dumped their party and declared for the All Progressives Congress (APC), these former members should have no business being in the house and threatening the governor of the state.
According to Clark, the 27 former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have automatically forfeited their seats in accordance with section 109 (1g) 2 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, when they defected from the PDP to APC without any reasonable grounds.
“You have a duty therefore to stop these fraudulent former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from parading themselves and issuing provocative statements to intimidate and increase tension in Rivers State which may one day burst into open conflagration. You also have a duty to protect the constitution of Nigeria without which there will be no Nigeria.
“Mr Inspector General of Police, it is even more disturbing that these former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are carrying out their illegal activities under the cover of policemen in uniform on whom rest a primary duty to enforce the law. This must be very disturbing to you as it is to all responsible Nigerians,” he said
Clark urged Egbetokun to use his good offices as head of the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the country to advise Mr President and other members of the National Security Council to bring this show of shame to an end and spare Nigeria from being a laughing stock to the entire world.
