By Abiola Olawale
An elderstatesman, former Federal minister for Information and a South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has once again weighed in on the political crisis rocking Rivers State
Chief Clark, who is also national leader of the Ijaws and Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF)accused the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Illiya Damagum of conniving with the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Ganduje and the incumbent Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike to sabotage the efforts of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Clark, who also heads the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), wondered why Damagum hasn’t intervened in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, a state controlled by the PDP.
Clark, a former minister of Information and senator during the Second Republic, in an open letter to Ganduje and Damagum dated May 20, alleged that the two national leaders of the leading political parties are fully involved in the political crisis in Rivers State. He alleged that the crisis is caused by Wike who is in control of the two chapters of the two political parties in Rivers State, particularly the PDP.
Clark, who accused Ganduje of recognising the APC camp loyal to Wike, also upbraided Damagum for allegedly turning a blind eye to the anti-party activities of the FCT minister in the state.
He advised the two chairmen to withdraw from “the madness of politics of Rivers State to avoid the dangerous crisis facing Rivers State, one of the most important states producing the resources used to sustain the economy of this country.”
He said: “How can the Federal Government and the two main political parties allow an individual to disrupt and cause confusion, harassment of the democratically elected Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara on the guise that he alone and not the people of Rivers State made Fubara Governor, in his provocative and inciting statement?.
“Wike who is a self-imposed leader of the party PDP and the champion of madness in Rivers Politics is also controlling the ruling party APC by appointing a caretaker committee under the former Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, while he is not the legitimate chairman of APC in Rivers State.
“The legitimate Chairman Emeka Beke was suspended and was replaced with Chief Tony Okocha, because of his close relationship with the Leader of APC in the state, in person of Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.
“Chief Tonye Cole, the APC gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State also belongs to the elected executives. Nyesom Wike, to impress the Presidency and APC in Abuja, decided to create the Chief Tony Okocha-led caretaker committee with which he now deals with the APC in Rivers State with the approval of the National Chairman of APC.
“One may be tempted to ask the National Chairman of APC why he chose to deal with a caretaker committee of APC which the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike had earlier presented the committee to him in the APC secretariat in Abuja before constituting it as a caretaker committee.
“But curiously, you now deal with a caretaker committee instead of the elected Chairman. I hope you are aware of the court action filed against you and APC by the elected Chairman of APC in Rivers State, Emeka Beke.
The old APC members by law are the APC leaders because they were never removed before the illegal caretaker committee was imposed on Rivers State, who are loyalists to Wike. The legally constituted executives are in court, challenging the imposition of the caretaker committee on Rivers State chapter of the APC by the NWC.”
The elder statesman said by these statements, Wike made it clear that he is at work in Rivers State to intimidate, harass and disorganise the state to replace Governor Fubara with the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Martins Amaewhule, through impeachment.
He continued: “Amb Damagum cannot honestly claim to be unaware of this grave anti-party activity being executed by Nyesom Wike when he (Wike) secretly took court injunction against founding and senior members of PDP and senior officials from Rivers State like the former National Chairman of PDP Prince Uche Secondus, His Excellency Celestine Omehia, former Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Austin Okpara who was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Abuja, Dr Abiye Sekibo, former Minister of Transportation, Sen Lee Maeba, etc to prevent them from attending the PDP NEC meeting of 18th April 2024.
“Every attempt made by these victims of oppression to vacate the injunctions did not succeed. Hon Sokari Goodboy, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Ahoada West who did not defect to APC was arrested on 18th April 2024 at the NEC meeting.
“Prince Uche Secondus has been a member of PDP since inception and he has acted as Organising Secretary, Deputy Chairman and National Chairman and one of those responsible for Wike’s election as Governor of Rivers State in 2015.”
Clark however appealed to the chairmen to, in the interest of peace and stability in Nigeria, disassociate themselves from the plan by Wike to bring down the Government of his successor, Governor Fubara.
“I strongly advise both of you to retrace your steps and take charge of your political parties in Rivers State and not leave it for Wike who is neither PDP nor APC.”
The New Diplomat reports that Rivers State has been in the news for over six months over the cold war between Fubara and Wike.
While the reasons for the acrimony between the duo remain top secret, some insider sources had said that Wike and Fubara had been purportedly battling for control of the oil-rich state’s resources and political machinery.
Sources have said that Fubara is allegedly not listening to Wike, who was vital in his victory at the 2023 governorship election.
The crisis has since festered, as about 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly including the Speaker, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and issued threats to impeach Fubara.
To analysts, these lawmakers have consequently lost their seats for dumping the PDP when there was no internal division to warrant such action. This appears to have strengthened the pro-Fubara loyalists in the State.
