Wike/Fubara face-off may rekindle militancy in N’Delta

..Mixed reactions trail Tinubu’s intervention

BY HARUNA SALAMI & ORIAKU IJELE

Stakeholders are seeking speedy resolution of the raging conflict between the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State, his successor, expressing fears that it may snowball into territorial conflict that may bring about militancy in the Niger Delta region.

This stems from the solidarity march which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the weekend, which saw civil servants, union leaders and other members of the organized labour, supporting the governor.

At the well-attended rally, thousands were seen singing and chanting solidarity songs and slogans, but those may not portend as much danger as the fear that the relative peace being witnessed in the Niger Delta may be punctured if the issue is not handled with care.

Sunday Times investigations indicate that with so much at stake in the conflict, the losing party may opt for the violent way, which will hurt Nigeria at the end. A source who spoke to the paper in this regard said: “We all know where this whole thing is going and we pray it does not get there. But all parties, especially the Federal Government must take steps to make sure it does not escalate more than this in the interest of peace in our region”.

Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions in the way and manner President Bola Tinubu waded into the crisis. The lingering crisis, which saw the Rivers State House of Assembly in issuing impeachment notice to the governor, the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the defection of 27 members of the assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the resignation of some state commissioners.

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, in his reaction, took a swipe at the PDP, Fubar’s party and its national working committee for abdication of responsibility over the crisis between Rivers State Governor and Nyesom Wike.

In Lamido’s view, President Bola Tinubu mediated between the duo for his own selfish agenda to the advantage of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a post on Lamido’s verified facebook wall, he said, “Pray do we still have the National Working Committee of the PDP? Or better still, do we have a party called PDP?

“If we have one of the two, how come their total absence in the saga playing out in the PDP family in Rivers? Is the docility of the leadership of the PDP, so comatose to the extent that President Tinubu of APC, our sworn rival and opponent is now the grand patriarch of PDP?

“It is inconceivable that a political party will simply sit back and allow its fortunes taken over by a rapacious scavenger, the APC. What President Tinubu did in the so-called peace meeting is not brokering peace in Rivers State, but using his office to enhance the fortunes of his political party”, Lamido said.

Speaking in a similar vein, David Briggs, former commissioner of Works , Rivers State, who said he was at the so-called mediation meeting said he has heard a lot of comments, which entre on why Fubara and Peter Odili signed that kind of agreement and not reject it.

Briggs threw some light on what happened at the meeting.

“I am a participant at the purported meeting. I was there, so I’m a witness. We were invited to a meeting, but that was not a meeting, because a meeting means opinions will be sought. There will be discussion between the two parties and resolutions will be reached, but was not what happened.

“What happened was that Mr. President walked in with a written resolution, addressed us and declared that what he had in his hand was a presidential proclamation, presidential directive, and at a point withdrew and emphasized that he is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Therefore, he can wipe, and anybody who tends to say no to what he was saying, it has consequence. That is not democratic. That in a simple lay man’s word is a threat.

“He wrote the resolution, but did not read it. He handed the resolution to Dr. Odili to read and interject and any time he interjected it came with subtle, polite, smiling insult.

Thereafter, he asked the governor to speak. Let’s get this clear. Now, if you are in the position of the governor, what will do? Get up and go? Say no to Mr. President with that subtle, but energetic threat, realizing that at home you’re fighting internal aggression and division. If you are in his position, will you like to attract another external fight? The answer is no.

Mr. Briggs said the governor is humble, intelligent and committed to the value of governance, adding that he didn’t expect the president, at that point to talk about himself, but about the people, which is the operational word of democracy, what do the people want. These are the first 3 words in the constitution of the USA where we copied our democracy from – we, the people is more important than I, the president. We, the people is more important than I, the governor.

According to him, the president simply gave that order and asked them to sign, adding that the action of Tinubu was based on the advice given to him by his advisers, which was what killed Abacha.

“When the leader does not reach out, but allow his advisers to dictate on to do and what he doesn’t do, what he says and what he doesn’t say, then you are imprisoned. That is the worst situation, to allow yourself to self imprisoned.

The president I know, in his own wisest of thought and action will not come out with that kind of a document.

He said the president ordered that Simi should do this, do that, you have not asked the 25 or 27 members of the House of Assembly that defected from PDD to APC without consulting their constituency and constituents, what should they do.

You can see the president’ s reaction was clear and simple, but very dangerous. It was a concrete intimidation to say it is illegal. In fact he withdrew in his seat to say he is the leader of APC in Nigeria and you are telling me that when babies are born into my family, I should ask them to go. No, they can’t go. We have welcomed them.

According Briggs, Tinubu said “I’m thinking the governor should have joined APC, then there will be no impeachment”.

However, former PDP Senator representing Bayelsa East, Ben Murray Bruce commended President Tinubu for intervening in the crisis and directing Fubara and Wike to end the fight.

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Murray-Bruce said the intervention was “timely, prudent and statemanly, adding that it was now left to dramatis personae to abide by the resolutions.

Many political analysts on various platforms have seen the position of the 25 or 27 Rivers House of Assembly members as crucial to genuine and permanent resolution of the Rivers crisis.

While the APC sees them as her news members, the PDP, insists they have lost their seats and called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-election in their state constituencies.