Rivers State’s ongoing crisis has taken a new turn, with former Governor Rotimi Amaechi shedding light on the underlying cause of the rift between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
According to Amaechi, the feud stems from a disagreement over sharing funds.
This revelation comes as the state of emergency declared in Rivers State continues to generate widespread reactions.
Amaechi, in an interview with DW Africa on Saturday monitored by Persecondnews, said President Bola Tinubu’s imposition of emergency rule on the state was unconstitutional.
Persecondnews had reported that Rivers State has been embroiled in political turmoil for nearly two years, fueled by a power struggle between Wike and Fubara, culminating in a political impasse.
In response to the brewing crisis, Tinubu had on March 18 declared a state of emergency in the state, suspending Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the House of Assembly for six months.
He equally named retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, whom he swore in on March 19 as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.
Ibas served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021, during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi said: “The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. If not, what is the quarrel?
“Nigerians do not dislike corruption anymore. I have not seen anybody on the street querying what the problem is. Can both of them speak to the public and tell us what the problem is?
“We are now denied democracy. Rivers State is the only state in the country currently not enjoying democracy. They have imposed military rule on us.
“Secondly, the president acted outside the Constitution. Section 188 states how a governor can leave office, either by death, resignation, or impeachment.
“It did not say that one day you wake up and a man called the president of Nigeria will throw you out of office, which makes democracy unstable.”
The former minister alleged that President Tinubu’s involvement in Rivers State’s situation stems from his desire to consolidate power by removing governors who may not support his re-election bid in the 2027 general election.
He said: “Rumours are everywhere that if any governor is not careful, the president will remove you. So the Rivers issue is about sharing money and 2027 politics.
“If the President said that the pipe that exploded was the reason why he tagged Rivers unstable and insecure by declaring a state of emergency, what about the other parts of the country where there is insecurity?
“Is the President saying that they should impose an emergency rule on him? They cannot because he is a democratically elected President.
“There are insecurity issues in the North East and North West, even in the South East and South South.
“The governor has no responsibility for the blown pipes in Rivers. Security responsibility rests solely on the President. Why punish a man who did not commit any offence?”
Amaechi urged the people of Rivers State to stand firm against the emergency rule imposed by the president, calling on them to protest the decision and make their voices heard.
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