The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for restraint amidst the escalating crisis in Rivers State, cautioning against pressuring President Bola Tinubu, who is currently in South Africa, to declare a state of emergency in the state. This plea follows an appeal from Chief Tony Okocha, Chairman of the Rivers APC Caretaker Committee, who had earlier urged the Federal Government to take drastic measures, including declaring a state of emergency, citing what he described as a full-blown war in the state.
Okocha’s appeal was based on claims that Governor Siminalayi Fubara appeared helpless and that the police authority was biased in handling the tenure elongation issue involving former local government chairpersons.
Reacting to these developments, Nze Chidi Duru, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, emphasized that it is premature to involve the president in the ongoing situation. Duru stressed that matters like these fall under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies and reiterated the importance of upholding the rule of law and respecting court orders in a democratic society.
In his words, “This is my personal view. This is something that lies within the purview of the law enforcement agents and Mr. President cannot be dragged into matters such as this. Truly, we are in a democracy. What underpins democracy essentially is the rule of law, procedure, and obedience to the relevant orders of the court. So, Mr. President cannot be dragged into isolated issues or issues that have to do with the functionalities of states such as this. That is my view.”
Meanwhile, a faction within the Rivers APC aligned with former Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed Okocha’s call for a state of emergency as not reflective of the broader consensus within the party. Darlington Nwauju, spokesperson for this faction, clarified that no formal consultations or meetings were held to discuss and agree upon such a drastic measure.
Nwauju stated, “Rivers APC did not at any point in time hold any meeting amongst its members or hold consultations amongst its leaders to decide that at this point in time, the best strategy or formula to nip in the bud the brewing political crisis is to demand for a state of emergency. There were no such consultations; there were no such meetings, and so it cannot stand as the aggregate opinion of members of the APC across the 390 wards in Rivers State.”
In conclusion, Nwauju labeled the idea of a state of emergency as unnecessary, illogical, and unpatriotic, urging alternative means for resolving the political issues in Rivers State.
