Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has stirred controversy by asserting that President Bola Tinubu’s recent involvement in the Rivers State political imbroglio wasn’t about brokering peace but a strategic move to bolster the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement on Wednesday, Lamido criticized the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allowing its arch-rival, Tinubu, to mediate in the dispute between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
While the embattled lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly announced the initiation of the withdrawal process for their impeachment motion against Fubara, a group in the US, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), cautioned the people of Rivers State against succumbing to the influence of Tinubu, Wike, and APC. Simultaneously, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide expressed scepticism about Tinubu’s presidency, accusing him of orchestrating an intervention that demonstrated “unbridled hatred against the Ijaws.”
Lamido denounced the PDP’s apparent lack of assertiveness, questioning the role of the NWC in allowing Tinubu, a rival party figure, to dictate terms within the PDP family in Rivers. The former governor emphasized that Tinubu’s actions were geared towards enhancing the APC’s standing, not fostering genuine peace in the region.
As the political landscape in Rivers State remains fraught with tension, the stakeholders in the region, under the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, rejected Tinubu’s directives on the crisis. The forum criticized the directives for unilaterally suspending the Nigerian constitution and infringing on the principle of the separation of powers. They urged all Rivers people to unite and resist what they deemed executive rascality.
While the legal battle between Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly continues, the controversial peace agreement supervised by Tinubu faces growing opposition from various quarters. As the political saga unfolds, questions about the role of external influences and the impact on the democratic process linger, raising concerns about the region’s stability and governance.
