Anabs Sara-Igbe, the former national publicity secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has denounced the declaration of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
According to reports, President Tinubu suspended House of Assembly members, his deputy, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Tuesday.
President Tinubu was accused by the former PANDEF spokesperson of going over his authority in an interview with News Central on Wednesday.
Sara-Igbe maintained that the President could not dismiss Governor Fubara because of the Constitution. The President was biased against Fubara from the start, he claimed.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the Rivers State problem, he claimed, supported Nyesom Wike because, contrary to the President’s advice, Wike refused to withdraw his appeal, while Fubara did so.
Since the outset, it has been clear that Mr. President harbors prejudice against the state’s governor. I stated with full authority that he initially provided us an unfair agreement, which he then made the Governor follow. Although Nyesome Wike also disobeyed the president, it was clear that the governor did as the president asked. And the Governor retracted all of his court suits because Nyesom Wike disobeyed the President and the Governor obeyed him. Nyesom Wike declined to rescind his legal actions. Fubara lost to Nyesom Wike because of that. Should that be insufficient, the Supreme Court rendered a decision against the government of Sim and Rivers State based on such withdrawal.
During his visit, PANDEF insisted that we go to Sim in order to establish a Supreme Court, Mr. President. The Sim had, however, already consented to carry out a Supreme Court ruling. The same individuals who are refusing to follow a Supreme Court ruling,” he remarked.
He asked the President why he suspended Governor Fubara, whom he had no authority to suspend, but refused to suspend the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, whom he had the authority to suspend.
A stateman from the Niger Delta criticized the president’s sincerity in declaring a state of emergency. The only administrator appointed, he said, was Wike’s supporter.
“It’s improper for Mr. President to proclaim a state of emergency under Section 305 while Rivers State is trouble-free. However, as stated above, Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as modified, does not give the President the authority to remove a council member or an elected governor. Under the 1999 Constitution as amended, he is not granted that authority. He stated that he supports the rule of law. Is the rule of law what you call this? In an attempt to appease Nyesom Wike, he has removed the governor of River State by abusing his immense power.
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Let’s take an unbiased look at it. When people argue, Nyesom Wike and Sim are involved. There is still Nyesom Wike in his cabinet. Are you not going to suspend him? If you wanted peace, Nyesom Wike would have been suspended. Sim was chosen, but he suspended him and kept Nyesom Wike there. The person he appointed, Nyesom Wike, could not be removed.
He urged Nyesom Wike to transport the army, police, navy, air force, and other security forces to River State last week. hoping for a response from the populace so he may proclaim a state of emergency. That did not work. Then they simply slept over and thought, “Oh, we can declare a state of emergency.” And as the sole administrator, they imported someone who everyone knows has been photographed with Wike,” he continued.
