By Abiola Olawale
The Oduduwa Youths Initiative (OYI) has chided the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, for purportedly worsening the political crisis rocking Rivers State.
This is as the group accused the immediate past governor of the oil-rich state of disregarding the Peace Accord deal initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on December 18, 2023.
The socio-political group, in a statement signed by its leader, Otunba Gbenga Ojo said Wike disrespected Tinubu by purportedly failing to implement the peace pact.
According to him, the lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who are loyal to Wike have continued to make life difficult for Governor Siminalayi Fubara by vetoing him, amending and enacting laws without his assent.
Ojo also said that the recent threat by the 27 lawmakers to resume impeachment proceedings against the Governor lends credence to the deepening crisis between the two parties.
He also charged the Minister tender a public apology for his actions within 24 hours, threatening to lead protests for his sack if he failed to do so.
The statement reads in part: “We have followed the political crisis in Rivers State and the swift intervention by President Tinubu to end further hostilities.
“However, we have been surprised that the peace accord has not been implemented by the FCT Minister who appears to have thrown caution to the wind in his conduct.
“For months now Amaewhule and his cohorts have been entangled in unconstitutionality, in their selfish bid to destabilize the administration of Governor Fubara and satisfy the whims and caprices of Wike.
“In January, the lawmakers overrode the decision of the governor not to approve four bills earlier passed by the assembly. The governor had withheld his assent rightly stating that such amendments would create confusion and breach constituted laws.
“The Rivers House recently again overrode the decision of Fubara not to assent to some bills. They even resumed impeachment proceedings against the Governor.
“We are not surprised though because Wike has consistently made careless remarks undermining the President. He has been very heedless and uncut.
“Therefore, we are giving the FCT Minister 24 hours to apologize for disrespecting the President. Failure to do so would attract massive protests across the country calling for his sack”.
It would be recalled that in December 2023, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Wike signed an agreement to end the political crisis in Rivers State.
An eight-point peace deal was brokered by President Tinubu and other stakeholders at a crucial meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Wike camp also agreed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly be dropped immediately
According to Ojo, the members, led by Martin Amaewhule, have made several futile attempts to destabilize the government of Fubara.
The parties in the feud resolved to recognise the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly and not that of Edison Ehie.
The two camps agreed to recognise Amaewhule and his 26 allies who recently resigned from the PDP to the APC.
