Rivers Crisis: Fubara disowns 27 defected lawmakers
…Hails Tinubu’s intervention
Amidst controversy over the authenticity of the circulating eight point agenda that was said to be signed by the camps of Governor Simi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resolve the political crisis in Rivers state, the All Progressives Congress APC States Assembly Forum (ASAF) has declared that it was yet to recognize the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members who recently defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as members of the forum
There are conflicting reports, as well as denials over the reported agreement that was allegedly reached and signed by the various camps at the end of the meeting which was convened on Monday by president Bola Tinubu, between Governor Simi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike to resolve the lingering disagreement that has plunged Rivers state into crisis
Following, the crisis, about 27 members of the State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the Speaker Hon. Martin Amaewhule, who are said to be loyal to the former Governor Wike announced their defection from the PDP to the APC.
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The Governor’s camp under the leadership of factional Speaker, Hon Edison Ehie however responded by declaring the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant, citing section 109 (1) of the Nigerian constitution
The factional Speaker and his group has formally written the Independent National Electoral Commission ‘INEC), declaring the seats vacant, an action which the 27 lawmakers have already challenged at the court
ASAF, which is the umbrella body of APC state Assembly members, held it’s emergency meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, where it among other things deliberated on the status of the newly defected lawmakers
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Director General of the forum, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, said the forum deliberated much on the development in Rivers State House of Assembly and agreed that it would not be in a hurry to admit the defected lawmakers as members since their defection is still being challenged at the court
Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, who however welcomed the decision of the lawmakers to embrace the APC, said ASAF wil be ready to accept them as well as other defectors from other states, but insisted that it must be done under a credible and transparent situation
The Director General, who had earlier pleaded with president Bola Tinubu to save the nation’s democracy by intervening in the Rivers state crisis, appreciated the recent move by the president to restore peace in the state
Dagogo however disclosed that ASAF will deliberate further and probably admit the 27 lawmakers into it’s forum when it meets again on February 18, 2024, ahead of its planned Geneva retreat in Switzerland
The forum which also sued for peace in Rivers state, admonished the citizens to remain calm, just as he advised the Governor, Simi Fubara and other political stakeholders in the state to key into the bold move by the president and works towards restoring a lasting peace and solution to the crisis
ASAF also saluted and gave a vote of confidence on the National chairman of the ruling All Poo Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC), former Kano state Governor, Abdullah Umar Ganduje, while noting that his leadership style has continued to add to the popularity of the ruling party which has continued to attract more defectors and membership to the APC
“The defected 27 lawmakers from Rivers state are not yet members of ASAF. We will not be in a hurry to admit them because their matters are still pending in the courts. ASAF will be
open, ready and happy to admit them into the forum, just as we believe our party, the APC will be happy to accept many other defectors, including Governor Fubara Dagogo and former Governor Nyesom Wike into the party, but all these must be done without any form of prejudice
“We appreciate the efforts of our president Bola Tinubu to call the warring factions in Rivers state to order having earlier pleaded with him to swiftly intervene in the crisis and save our democracy from collapsing. We salute Mr President for his fatherly role in returning peace to Rivers state.
