The Peoples Democratic Party has warned the All Progressives Congress not to try to forcefully take over Rivers State.
The disagreement between Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and former Minister of Federal Capital Territory Nyesome Wike started last year when the Assembly, mainly made up of Wike’s supporters, tried to impeach the governor.
Even though they initially reached an agreement mediated by President Bola Tinubu, tensions flared up again when they couldn't agree on the terms of the peace deal.
After that, the Assembly asserted its authority by passing two bills despite the governor's objections.
On Monday, Fubara criticized the Assembly, saying it was not a legitimate entity and claiming it didn't exist.
He also argued that the eight-point peace agreement facilitated by the President was only a political solution and not a constitutional matter.
As a result, on Tuesday, the State All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, urged the 27 members of the State House of Assembly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to quickly start impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
In response, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, described Okocha’s request as an unlawful directive.
He said that the APC Chairman in Rivers State's irresponsible and unjustified comments show the extreme desperation of the widely rejected APC to use violence, coercion, and intimidation to undermine the will of the people and forcefully take control of the State.
Ologunagba stated, “Such reckless and unjustified statement by the APC Chairman in Rivers State exposes the desperate tactics of the APC, which is widely rejected in Rivers State, to use violence, coercion, and bullying to undermine the will of the people and take over the State by force.
“The fact that the Rivers State APC Chairman thinks he can direct impeachment proceedings against a duly elected State Governor not only shows the level of APC’s arrogance and disrespect for the people of Rivers State but also confirms APC’s desperation to forcefully take away their democratic rights under the Constitution.
“In any case, the individuals that the Rivers State APC Chairman directed to start impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara are not legally members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot consider or exercise such powers under the law.
The PDP spokesperson urged the Inspector General of Police to take note of the statements made by the APC Chairman in Rivers State, warning that they could incite unrest and disrupt the democratic process in the country, stressing that the constitution is clear on this matter.
Ologunagba continued, “These individuals, according to Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), have lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition, and obligations as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly after defecting from the PDP, the party on which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, as emphasized by Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution.
The Constitution's Section 109 (1) (g) is self-executing, meaning the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected have lost their seats because of the defection.
The Rivers State APC Chairman's unlawful command for these individuals to start an impeachment process against the Governor is a bold call for chaos, as it is an attempt to forcefully overthrow a democratic Order, violating Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The PDP is alerting the Inspector General of Police to the subversive statements made by the APC Chairman in Rivers State, which could lead to crisis and disrupt the Democratic Order in the country.
He encouraged the APC Chairman in Rivers State to recognize that Rivers State is firmly under the control of the PDP and that the residents of the state are not willing to change this loyalty.
Ologunagba said, “The APC must abandon the idea of forcibly taking over Rivers State as it directly insults the people's sensibilities and will be firmly resisted.
The APC Chairman in Rivers State should understand that Rivers State is the stronghold of PDP and the people are not willing to entrust their future to a corrupt and oppressive party like the APC.
