Nigerian elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the political crisis that has engulfed Rivers State lately.
Clark said it is sacrilegious for such resolutions to have emanated from Nigeria’s seat of power, Aso Villa, Abuja.
ANN reported on Monday that President Tinubu had intervened in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, as the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, was mandated to recognise 27 members of State Assembly who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
SaharaReporters obtained the eight-point resolution from the close-door meeting with President Tinubu, which also had in attendance the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, a former governor of the state, Peter Odili, Minister of the Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
SaharaReporters reported that the political crisis ravaging followed a prolonged disagreement between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, political godfather and now Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The political crisis in the state deepened between October 29 and 30, when the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly was burnt, following alleged moves to impeach Fubara.
The situation consequently led to the emergence of two factional speakers – Matins Amaehule, who is loyal to Wike; and Edison Ehie, a strong supporter of Fubara.
However, as the crisis exacerbated, 27 members of the House said to be loyal to Wike announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But one of them later made a U-turn.
To stop the lingering crisis, the president and the stakeholders from the State held a meeting, which began Monday evening.
The Federal Government during the meeting distanced itself from the political crisis.
Meanwhile, at the end of the closed-door meeting, an eight-point resolution was reached and all the stakeholders appended their signatures to bring the crisis to an end.
But reacting to the outcome of the meeting, Clark faulted the resolutions.
He described it as “unacceptable” and “undemocratic”.
Clark who spoke during a press conference, said the eight-point resolution was put forward to give the political leadership of the state to Wike.
The elder statesman described the resolutions as “unconstitutional, absurd and obnoxious”.
“And for the fact that such thing was done at the Villa, the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria, is sacrilegious because any place housing or is a custodian of symbol of authority, ought to be sacred.
“It is obvious that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was ambushed and intimidated into submission.”
He warned Tinubu that any lawless action undertaken by him would be resisted, adding that he and others were willing to seek legal redress over the matter.
“We will resist such draconic, arbitrary and unconstitutional action by Mr. President and his customer, Nyesom Wike,” he said.
