…says plot to impeach Fubara may spark crisis in Niger Delta, Nigeria
…calls Wike’s involvement ‘politics of madness’
By Tunde Opalana
Foremost nationalist and Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief. Dr. Edwin Clark has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately halt the unlawful plot to impeach Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara by stopping 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from parading themselves as lawmakers.
The 97 years old elser statement said the IGP hold it a duty to save Rivers State from an imminent crisis and by extension the nation’s democracy from derision by protecting the sanctity of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).
According to Chief. Clark, the 27 Rivers lawmakers have ceased to be members of the state legislature immediately they defected from their party , the Peoples Democratic Party the platform on which they were elected to the All Progressives Party .
He therefore demanded that Egbetokun should as a matter of urgency withdraw police protection from the lawmakers who are now former members of the State Assembly.
He added that the IGP should ensure that the laws of the country is obeyed by the former lawmakers rather than allow them to further plunge Rivers State into crisis by plotting Fubara’s impeachment.
Chief. Clark addressed a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday in which he read a personal letter written to the Inspector General of Police titled “The Threat by the former Rivers State House of Assembly members to impeach the popularly elected governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara is an action that is likely to cause breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in Rivers State”.
Warning of the implication of the impending crisis on national polity, the elder statesman said no country will exist without law and that Section 1 of the 1999 constitution provides that the Nigerian Constitution is supreme and above any person or institution
He said “any country without constitution does not exist and in such situation, anarchy will reign”.
The former minister of Information expressed concern that men and officers of the Nigerian Police are being used to infringe on the constitution with impunity by providing security to the ex- lawmakers who in the eyes of the law have ceased to be members of the state Assembly.
He said the Inspector General should advise President Bola Tinubu that the interest of one individual should not be placed above the interest of the entire nation. If this is allowed, there will be problem, breakdown of law and order.
“The recent unprovoked announcement by the Speaker and 26 former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly might cause a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State and the consequences of such crisis will not only affect Rivers State politically, socially and economically but will also affect the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“We have enough of such crisis of all dimensions in nearly all parts of this country already and we therefore prevent anymore of such crisis. I had earlier advised and appealed to our President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call his Minister Nyesom Wike to order to avoid this looming crisis and that the interest of the entire country should supersede the interest of an individual or a small group of people otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.
“It is in this spirit I am addressing this letter to you as the Inspector General of Police who is in charge of the peace and stability of this country.
“You are therefore fully aware of the dangerous precarious situation we are facing today in this country whereby the people are no longer safe to move around, to go to their farms to feed themselves; I seriously warn that if the sanctity of the country’s constitution is not obeyed by its citizens, the consequences that will follow will be anarchy.
“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, which states; “g, being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another part before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;
“The Speaker of the House of Assembly shall give effect to subsection (1) of this section, so however that the Speaker or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of the member.”
“Above all, section 1 of our Supreme Law i.e the Constitution states, “sub1, This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
It will therefore be madness and suicidal for any responsible and patriotic Nigerian to breach the Constitution of 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.
“Finally, I sincerely appeal to you to use your office as head of the Law enforcement arm of the country to advise Mr President and other members of the National Security Council of which you are the center, to bring this show of shame to an end and spare Nigeria from being a laughing stock to the entire world.
“This is more so as Mr President and all of you swore to protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria, which now appears to be overlooked despite the glaring infringement being openly carried out in favor of one individual and his followers,” he so addressed the IGP.
Chief Clark said he has sent copies of this letter to other security Chiefs including, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General Department of State Services (DG DSS), Director General National Intelligence Agency (DG NIA) and Director Military Intelligence (DMI).
Chief Clark alleged that the FCT minister, Nyeson Wike’s involvement in the entire crisis could be summarized as “politics of madness”, while he berated Wike of insulting peace makers in the crisis.
He said “it is indeed very provocative and insulting that Mr Nyesom Wike the FCT Minister who is the master mind of the issues bedevilling Rivers State and who was born on the 13th of December1967 after these two events should accuse his fathers and leaders like me of being interlopers, daring to challenge his leadership of Rivers State politics.
“Mr Wike helped Mr Fubara to become governor of Rivers, but the duo parted ways because of the minister’s ambition to control the politics and governance in the state.
“The crisis deteriorated, prompting President Bola Tinubu to midwife a controversial peace deal between Messrs Wike and Fubara, after the seats of 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the Rivers House of Assembly were declared vacant following their defection to the APC.
“But despite the peace deal, the feud between the two former allies – Mr Wike and Fubara – has persisted.
“Nyesom Wike should therefore stop making noise about the sponsorship of Sim Fubara because he knew the reasons he supported Sim Fubara to become the governor of Rivers state to automatically centre immunity on the governor so therefore he will not be available for questioning as a prosecution witness by EFCC against Mr Nyesom Wike.
“Why Nyesom Wike decided to impeach his boy in favour of the former Speaker Martins Amaewhule his kith and kin from his home?
“Mr Nyesom Wike has been involved in politics of madness while also parading himself as a senior PDP member and fighting his rival at the PDP primaries, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. To confirm his claims that he is still a member of PDP in Rivers State; he mobilized supporters for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which held on Thursday, 18th of April 2024 at the PDP Secretariat in Abuja and he, Wike attended the NEC meeting from beginning to the end.The report is available in the media.His Excellency, the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara was also present at the meetings.”
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