The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership has rejected the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the Rivers State crisis, stating that it offers no remedy for the 25 PDP House of Assembly members who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP’s National Chairman, Ambassador Illya Damagum, emphasized the constitutional implications of defection and dismissed the Abuja intervention, claiming it raised false hope.
In response, the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, pledged to continue making sacrifices for peace, emphasizing the importance of stability for the state. Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Peter Odili, expressed support for Fubara, and human rights activist Femi Falana advised stakeholders to turn to the constitution for resolution.
However, elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark disputed reports of a peace pact signed by Fubara, asserting that the eight-point decision was fake and not signed by the governor or former Governor Peter Odili. Clark urged Fubara to disown the purported agreement and emphasized the need to respect the constitution.
A lawyer, Jesutega Onokpasa, defended President Tinubu, stating that he did not impose peace terms but insisted on amicable resolutions among the disputing parties. Onokpasa hailed Tinubu as a democrat committed to constitutionality.
The PDP national chairman, Damagum, maintained that there is no division in the PDP to justify the defection of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election into the 25 constituencies where vacancies occurred due to defection.
The political landscape in Rivers State remains tense, with conflicting positions on the resolution of the crisis and the fate of the defected lawmakers.
