You Were  Unjust In Invasion Of Rivers State South-south Elders Forum Slams Tinubu

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Fubara’s whereabouts, unknown alleges PANDEF

The South-south Elders  Forum on Thursday, March 20, 2025, expressed serious regrets and shock over the open bias of President Bola Tinubu in the Rivers state political crisis.

This is even as the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, raised the alarm over the whereabouts and safety of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Source reports that the President on Tuesday imposed a six-month State of Emergency on Rivers state. He, also, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Dr Ngozi Odu, and Members of the State House of Assembly from office.

President Tinubu had cited, according to him, the near-complete  breakdown of law and order, occasioned by the supremacy battle between the executive and legislative arms of Government as  major reasons.

The disagreement between the two arms of Government  was a direct fall out from the estranged relationship between Nyesom Wike,  the FCT Minister, and Governor Fubara, his erstwhile political godson.

The two chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday, brushed aside wide spread opposition from Nigerians to ratify the controversial proclamation of State of emergency.

The president, however, in his nationwide broadcast heaped all the blame for the protracted Rivers state political crisis on the door steps of the Governor.

Conversely, President Tinubu completely exonerated his super Minister, Wike, from any culpability in the smearing impasse, a narrative which his Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, reinforced at a  media briefing at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.

But in a statement jointly  issued on Thursday by former Governor Rufus Ada-George, former Deputy Governor of the State  Dr Gabriel Toby ,Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, the South-south Elders Forum noted said that it is disturbing for the President to portray Governor Fubara as the sole progenitor and purveyor of the crisis in the State.

The  Forum said it is disappointed with the President’s narrative signposting the Governor as being in breach of the eight point Agenda entered into at the Presidential Villa, as well as the terms of the Supreme Court judgment.

The Forum expressed shock and surprise that the President could gloat over the roles of the FCT Minister and his men in the State House of Assembly in fomenting and sustaining the crisis in the State.

The South-south elders described the disposition and action of the President as not only unfair, but manifestly unjust.

“By doing so, the President has created a narrative that places the blame solely on the Governor which is not the true position of events.

“This biased perspective overlooks the role of the law makers, acting apparently under the influence, and direction of the Minister of the FCT, thus perpetuating an unjust and one-sided view of the situation”, the Forum stated.

The elders alleged that the Lawmakers, acting on Wike’s behest, severally frustrated  efforts by the Governor to implement the Supreme court rulings.

According to the  Forum, the uncooperative stance of the Legislators was part of a  well- rehearsed script to justify the imposition of a State of Emergency.

However, the Elders expressed concern that the President’s speech has served to misinform the public, thereby, creating an inaccurate narrative about the situation in Rivers state.

“We  therefore,  wish to align with the position of the  Nigerian Bar Association, Afenifere , Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum, Pan Niger Delta Forum, Ijaw National Congress, and other pro-democratic organizations and individuals across the country and beyond in condemning the unconstitutional, undemocratic and uncivilized invasion of Rivers State.

“To this end, we urge all like-minded individuals,who champion good over evil to recognize that the threat to one part of Nigeria today may become a reality elsewhere in the country tomorrow.

“We, therefore, invite all peace loving Nigerians to join us in this fight for social justice and political freedom”, the  elders forum emphasized.

A leader of PANDEF, Anabs Sara-Igbe,  on Thursday claimed that all efforts to locate and establish contact with the Governor Fubara ever since the announcement of the State of Emergency have proved futile.

Following the imposition of emergency rule, the Governor, with the family had  vacated the Government House.