As political tensions escalate in Rivers State, a member of the Rivers Elders Council, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has called on President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action by suspending Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sara-Igbe criticized the removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, describing it as unconstitutional. He argued that President Tinubu lacks the legal authority to suspend a democratically elected governor.
“He has no constitutional power to suspend the governor. But a minister who is fomenting the whole problem that he appointed, he has never questioned or sanctioned him.”
He questioned why the President had not taken any disciplinary action against Wike, whom he accused of being at the center of the ongoing crisis in the oil-rich state. “What stops him from sanctioning the minister that is causing the whole problem?” he asked.
The political unrest in Rivers took a new turn on Tuesday when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, citing escalating violence, including explosions and vandalism of petroleum pipelines. As part of the emergency measures, the President suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
Reacting to these developments, Sara-Igbe expressed discontent over what he perceived as an unfair handling of the crisis. He argued that if Fubara was suspended, Wike should not be exempt from disciplinary measures.
“You have suspended an elected governor, but you cannot suspend a minister who is the root cause of all the problems,” he said.
Drawing an analogy, he continued, “If two children are fighting, you will beat the two of them—then heaven will say that you are fair. You cannot flog one child all through and abuse him when he is not the troublemaker.”
He further accused Wike of making inflammatory statements and inciting ethnic tensions while Fubara remained calm and obedient to the President’s directives.
“He has insulted every part of the country. He has insulted his grandfathers, calling ethnic groups to come out and cause problems. But the man that is peaceful, obeying you, is the one that you sanctioned,” Sara-Igbe concluded.
The crisis in Rivers State continues to stir political debates, with many closely watching how President Tinubu will navigate the growing tensions between key political figures in the state.
