Edwin Clark, elder statesman in the Niger Delta region, has asked President Bola Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike and security agencies to order amid political crisis brewing in Rivers state.
In a statement on Monday, Clark said he was disturbed by the political development in Rivers in the last 24 hours.
There have been crises in the state over alleged moves to impeach Siminalaye Fubara, the governor, by members of the house of assembly.
On Sunday a section of the assembly complex was gutted by fire while the house leader was removed on Monday as part of plan to impeach the governor.
But Clark said ” the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike”.
“And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the State.
Let me warn strongly, we won’t allow that to happen,” he added.
“President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.
“Last night, the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly was burnt, in what apparently is part of the plot to destabilize the State.
“The Governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage.
“We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all
Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta Region by extension.
“The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the National Economy.
“What has Governor Fubara done wrong? Refusing to be further “remote controlled”?
“Mr. Nyesom Wike was Governor for 8 years, nobody hassled him. He governed Rivers State like an Emperor, he did not show any iota of respect and regard to anyone, not even those who imposed him on Rivers people in 2015.”
Clark said “Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, the nation’s democracy, and the Country at large”.
