The Rivers State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha, has said declaring a state of emergency in Rivers and suspending Governor Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and the State House of Assembly was a necessary evil.
Okocha, at a press conference at APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, said the security of the state was deteriorating under Fubara with youths he was backing bombing everywhere, saying people like him and other opposition members became endangered species.
He said that with the state of emergency in place, security has improved, allowing opposition members like himself to move freely. He expressed optimism that normalcy would return to Rivers, paving the way for a more stable political environment.
“Well, one would not say categorically, because I said to you that I am not a prophet but for the immediate, it was a necessary evil. The decision of Mr. President was a necessary evil. If you read our publication, we say that it’s a painful acceptance. It was painful, but we needed to accept it as a necessary evil.
“So Mr President’s decision was a necessary evil, and whether the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara or his suspension, as it were today, will be the only thing that will bring peace in Rivers state, I can tell you that the the more I know, 90%, 90% of the political imbroglio is solved,” he said.
The Rivers State political crisis has drawn national attention, with former Governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike actively working behind the scenes to broker peace with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Okocha emphasised that, contrary to speculations, Wike was not fueling the crisis but instead trying to stabilise it.
The APC chairman said that before the emergency declaration, Rivers was on the brink of political anarchy, with governance at a standstill and the legislative arm particularly comatose.
He criticised Fubara for sidelining 27 lawmakers and working with only three, withholding funds from the State Assembly, and demolishing the Assembly complex under the pretext of renovation, describing these actions as a threat to democracy and lawlessness.
“I have told you before, and let me also repeat it, the President did not just declare a state of emergency. You are aware that time came when Mr. President invited stakeholders from River state to the State House.
And in that meeting, we were over 150. I was in attendance, and the President took his time for 20 to 30 minutes to advise us and sue for peace.
“The Governor had the opportunity because the President gave him the opportunity to speak on the matter.
You are aware that an eight-point decision was reached from that meeting. Maybe what you do not know is that at every paragraph that was read, not by Mr President himself, but by our father, former Governor of River States, Peter Odili at every paragraph he read, the President would interject and ask, is that what you agreed, all of us would agree, yes.
“That’s why I worry, because somebody who was in that meeting went back home, just in their bid to feast on the Governor’s pockets, to say that the Governor was under duress. There was no pressure anywhere. We had the best of a serene environment.
“The only reason why our friend, the suspended Governor fought was because there were some elders who said, look, you have signed your death warrant. Why did you go to sign that? From there, they went to court against Mr. President, saying he had no right, that the decision was reached couldn’t have been constitutional, that they are political,” Okocha added.
Credit: Leadership