Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is supporting former Rivers state governor and minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to destabilise the state.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV on Tuesday, Dokubo expressed his disappointment at the ongoing crisis in the state, adding that ‘something will happen’ if the governor is impeached.
He said; “What I’m trying to say is that with Bola Tinubu becoming president, I should be able to tell him the truth. What is happening in Rivers State where Bola Tinubu is supporting Nyesom Wike to destabilise Rivers State and disturb the peace of Rivers State, and as a stakeholder in Rivers State, I feel totally disappointed for the president to allow his minister serving under him to run amok and porcure judgement and all sort, threatening the people of Rivers State.
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“Bola Ahmed Tinubu is supporting Nyesom Wike to destabilize and to disturb the peace of Rivers State. If You Remove Governor Fubara, Something Will Happen”
-Asari Dokubo, Speaks Over The Cr!sis In Rivers State. pic.twitter.com/OuxKfTkaKx
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“What they are trying to do is that we’re going to remove Fubara, and nothing will happen. What I’m saying is that if you try to remove Fubara, something will happen. That is what I’m talking about. I’m not talking of any personal benefit; I can’t be appointed minister or to any board; I didn’t lobby for anything.”
When asked, Dokubo stated that he still stands by his words that he should be held responsible if President Tinubu fails to deliver.
“I still stand by that statement. That is why I’m crying out, because I’m vigorously liable for any expectation of the Nigerian people, not just Niger Delta people. This is because I stood in front of everybody, and I’m not going to deny what I said.Oil and gas internship
“Even if it’s tomorrow and Ahmed Bola Tinubu encounters any difficulty, I’ll still stick out my neck and stand. At the stand he stood for me, I would have been dead and not be in this programme talking. Obasanjo would have killed me if not for people like Tinubu who stood by me. So, I’m not going to be in a hurry to forget that.”
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Recall that Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara have been at loggerheads since the latter assumed office as governor in 2023, just as Fubara had said that his rift with Wike is tied to a tussle over power and control in Rivers State.
The crisis split the Rivers Assembly into two factions after an attempt to impeach the governor. The faction loyal to Wike had 27 lawmakers, while the other loyal to the governor initially had four members.
Both factions hold parallel sittings at different locations in the state capital, Port Harcourt. Pro-Wike lawmakers are led by Martin Amaewhule as the speaker while the four-member assembly loyal to Fubara was led by Edison Ehie.
The crisis got messier on 11 December 2023 when the pro-Wike lawmakers announced their defection to the APC, prompting Mr Ehie to declare their seats vacant after obtaining a court order to continue legislative business without the interference of the Wike-backed lawmakers.
After declaring vacant the seats of Wike’s allies, the Ehie-led four-member assembly received Governor Fubara’s 2024 Rivers budget for consideration.
Before presenting the budget, Fubara ordered the demolition of the state assembly complex that was bombed during the attempt to impeach him.
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The Rivers State Government said it demolished the building after experts certified it unfit for use after it was bombed, but it was glaring that the complex was demolished to prevent the pro-Wike lawmakers from using it for parallel sittings.
To resolve the Rivers crisis, President Bola Tinubu midwifed a controversial peace pact between Governor Fubara and Mr Wike.
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The peace agreement was criticised as being one-sided – in favour of Wike.
In the peace agreement, Governor Fubara was asked to allow the pro-Wike lawmakers to return to the assembly and conduct legislative business at a place of their choice and with their rights and privileges restored.
Fubara was directed to re-present the 2024 budget before the pro-Wike lawmakers and recalled Mr Wike’s allies who resigned as commissioners from Governor Fubara’s cabinet in solidarity with Wike.
Both parties were asked to withdraw all pending suits in court relating to the crisis while the pro-Wike lawmakers were asked to withdraw the impeachment notice on Fubara.
As part of the implementation of the deal, Ehie resigned as speaker of Fubara-backed four-member assembly, reducing the governor’s loyalists in the crisis-torn legislature to three.
Ehie also withdrew the contempt proceeding he initiated against his opponents in compliance with the peace deal.
On the other hand, the pro-Wike lawmakers withdrew the impeachment notice against Mr Fubara.
The pro-Wike lawmakers, however, declined to withdraw the court cases: one of them is challenging the legality of the Rivers N800 billion 2024 budget, therefore, outsmarting Governor Fubara, who has repeatedly suffered legal defeats in this regard.
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