The All Progressives Congress (APC) has justified President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention in the political crisis in Rivers State as being in order.
According to the party, the president’s intervention was in accordance with his responsibility of ensuring peace and order in every part of the country.
Reports have it that the President has directed that the impeachment move by the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Siminalayi Fubara be suspended in the interest of peace of the state.
But the move had been described in some quarters as an abortion of a constitutional process.
Reacting to the development, National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Felix Morka, yesterday on a national television, defended the President’s action in the build-up to the impeachment process against the governor and his deputy Prof Ngozi Odu by the State House of Assembly.
Reacting to a question challenging the President’s advice to all the warring factions in the state to cease further action, as a move to stop a constitutional and lawful process, Morka argued that the President has not in any way aborted any constitutional process.
He said:
“To the best of my knowledge, the President has not aborted any constitutional process. He just gave his own counsel as the president to those involved. He did not go to the House of Assembly to instigate them or command anyone to do anything.
“As the president, they came to him, and he gave his advice on the matter. I think the President’s action was compatible with our constitutional democracy.”
Disagreeing that the president was meddling in Rivers’ matter, Morka said: “As the President, he was concerned, just as he did when the atmosphere was degenerating to violence by imposing the state of emergency.
“It is still within the realm of his office, as president, to ensure that every component part of the country is functioning properly.”
On the status of Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike in the political equation of Rivers State, the APC spokesman noted that the former governor has a key role to play while admitting that Governor Fubara, who is now a member of the ruling APC, is the leader of the party in the state.
On the fears being expressed over possible invasion of the county by the United States (U.S.) under the guise of fighting terrorism, Morka, dismissed the fear as baseless, insisting that the federal government has given enough explanations on the military activities of the US forces in the county, which he said was limited to the global war against terrorism.
“The war on terror is a war that must be won. Terror must be defeated by all means necessary. The collaboration between the Nigerian Armed Forces and their U.S. counterpart is one that had received a lot of conversation and explanation by the government.
“What we know is that Nigerian government and US authorities are coordinating very seriously to defeat terror that had brought hardship and pains to our people.
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