The political crisis in Rivers State has taken a new turn as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp reacts to the recent intervention by President Bola Tinubu. The president, in a bid to resolve the lingering crisis, conducted a three-hour meeting with key stakeholders, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, former governor Peter Odili, and others at the State House in Abuja.
Following the meeting, eight resolutions were reached to address the political tension in the South-South state. Signatories to the resolutions included Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Oma Ordu, Nyesom Wike, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, factional Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly Martin Amaewhule, PDP Chairman in Rivers State Aaron Chukwuemeka, and APC Caretaker Chairman Tony Okocha.
However, reacting to these developments, the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation spokesman, Daniel Bwala, expressed strong disapproval via a post on his verified social media handle on Monday. Bwala declared the president’s directives as “illegal, unconstitutional, and null and void.”
In his statement, Bwala urged the people of Rivers State to disown the directives issued during the meeting, emphasizing the alleged illegality and unconstitutionality surrounding the resolutions.
“The people of Rivers State should disown the so-called directive which is, in itself, illegal, unconstitutional, and null and void,” wrote Bwala.
As tensions persist in Rivers State, the divergent viewpoints from political camps highlight the complexity of the situation, with stakeholders expressing conflicting opinions on the legitimacy of the resolutions and the overall impact on the political landscape of the state.