Elder statesman Robert Clarke and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dele Momodu have criticized President Bola Tinubu’s intervention on the power tussle between incumbent Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara and former governor Nyesom Wike.
Governor Fubara and Wike who is the minister of the Federal Capital Territory have been at dagger drawn over who controls Rivers political affairs. The crisis came to a climax last week with 27 members of the State House of assembly dumping the PDP and declaring for the All Progressives Congress.
Tinubu brokered an accord between Fubara and Wike Monday night but according to Momodu a renowned publisher of Ovation magazine and author Clarke reminded the President Tinubu of his constitutionally assigned responsibility.
Momodu wrote on his Instagram page: “The directives to Rivers State by a Federal President is really absurd in legal terms. No President can be a Headmaster of both State and Federal.
“What manner of democracy are we practicing that allows a President to intervene in the internal affairs of opposition parties and over-rules the Constitution unchallenged, and our politicians comply as if they are in a slave camp.
“Opposition parties must vehemently oppose this brazen attempt at forcing a one-party dictatorship on Nigeria.”
Speaking during an Arise TV interview Tuesday, Prof Clarke stated: “The president has no power, he knows that. The best legal brain cannot help him. You can’t bring Robert Clarke to come and change the law to enable the president to come and intervene. Under what constitutional provisions? So, the law by itself as of today did not provide (a constitutional right for Tinubu to intervene in State matters).”
The according signed by Fubara and Wike included that:
“The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
“The remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Governor Fubara and his team must drop all legal cases concerning the Rivers political crisis and that all impeachment proceedings against Fubara must be halted.
