The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Chief Tony Okocha, has described President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state as the best possible decision to address the escalating issues of economic sabotage and general disorder threatening peace in Rivers State.
The party expressed this sentiment in a letter sent to the President, reacting to the introduction of emergency rule in Rivers State.
In the letter, which was shared with the Nigerian Tribune in Port Harcourt, Okocha’s APC, known for its criticism of the Fubara administration, recalled how the President initially intervened at the start of the political crisis.
He convened a meeting of stakeholders at the State House in Abuja, resulting in an 8-point peace proclamation that Governor Fubara, according to Okocha, willingly endorsed.
He also recalled how on return to Port Harcourt, “a thespian drama” ensued where “Elders who should have drummed for peace latching on the veritable ground provided by the meeting in the State House”, instead, counseled the Governor never to accept the wise counsel of the President.
“Worse still”, Okocha alleged; “they went to court to seek a declaration that Mr. President’s decision was political, not constitutional. In all this route, the Governor was the mastermind and financier”.
He also accused Governor Fubara of watching through the sordid path of denigration and abuse of Mr. President with his snide comments which enlivened his cronies in the garb of Elders.
He pointed how as a party, the APC took out airtimes in both traditional and new media to urge the Governor and his hatchet men to refrain from the ceaseless obnoxious attacks on Mr. President, whose only offense was the intention to return peace and tranquility in Rivers State; and how the efforts failed “because of the deep-seated penchant of Governor Fubara, whose deliberate intention was to show off Mr. President as weak and inconsequential”.
The letter went on to catalogue how Fubara; “utterly disregarded and disrespected the Rule of Law and carried on with impunity under the guise of immunity clause section 308 and chose the orders of the Court/judicial pronouncements to obey”, making reference to some court judgments and orders which the suspended governor refused to comply with, among others sins.
The APC went on to say; ”Your Excellency, we saw the zest in you to have the self inflicted Rivers State political imbroglio resolved. For the second time, during the visit with you by the PANDEF, you alluded to the Rivers State case and urged the leaders to help in the realization and implementation of the Rule of Law and specifically the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on the 28th of February, 2025.
“Despite the Presidential counsel, Rivers State became a beehive of activities for nonstate actors who boasted openly to bomb pipelines and strangulate the nation’s economy and engage in lawlessness should Governor Fubara be impeached.
“We thought that it was an empty threat. They made good their boast by bombing and destroying crucial pipelines in Rivers State.
“Kidnapping, robbery and blocking of major highways returned in droves. Governor Fubara did absolutely nothing to restore normalcy to a now fledgling state that he governed”.
It further told the President; “Your Excellency, your decision for a State of Emergency in Rivers State is rather painful, but critically examining the evolving scenarios, we can’t but welcome the timeous decision.
“An Elder doesn’t sit to watch a goat deliver her baby on tethers” ~ African proverb.
“It’s painful to us because we laboured to get electoral victories in Rivers State on both 25th February 2023 (Presidential election), which was an unprecedented political landmark and 18th March, 2023 (Governorship).
“We are satisfied with Mr. President’s decision for the State of Emergency in Rivers State. It was timeous. We heard the drumbeat of war and the ethnicisation of a political imbroglio.
The atmosphere in Rivers State became quaky so fast because of the unfortunate turn of events.
“We congratulate Mr. President for the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State. It is utilitarian to the extent that it brought succour and happiness to the greatest number of Rivers people”.
The party also congratulated the Sole Administrator, Vice Amiral Ibok Ette Iba, (Rtd) whom it described as square peg Sole administrator and whose pedigree in administration and scintillating service to our nation speak volumes.
“As a Party of decorous and law-abiding citizens of Rivers State/Nigeria, we declare in advance, our unalloyed support and determination to work with him towards the realization of Mr. President’s good intentions”.
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