Rivers Political Crisis: Don’t Turn Nigeria Into Banana Republic – Former PDP Spokesman Tells Tinubu

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan has warned that President Bola Tinubu should not be allowed to turn the nation into a banana republic.

Issuing this warning in the wake of the move by President Tinubu to settle the ongoing rift between the Rivers state governor, Siminialayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, Ologbondiyan argued that the declaration of the president regarding the political crisis was unconstitutional adding that it ran foul of the 1999 constitution.

He argued that the ” law provides that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducts an election to replace the lawmakers who decamped from the PDP to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state.

“The Asiwaju Declarations on Rivers State are unconstitutional and a wholesome abuse of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The law is that @inecnigeria holds election in the vacant seats of the Rivers House of Assembly in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). @officialABAT, as a major beneficiary of our constitutional democracy, must not be allowed to turn our nation into a banana republic where anything goes,” Ologbondiyan said.

It had earlier been reported that after a meeting with Tinubu on Monday, Wike and Fubara signed a pact that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the Governor by the State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.

Also, all matters instituted by Governor Fubara and his team at the court shall be withdrawn immediately, and the governor shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the State Assembly.

Another resolution reached at the meeting was that the leadership of the Rivers Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside 27 members who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among others.

However, members of the PDP have continued to fault President Tinubu for the resolution he reached with the Rivers governor after the meeting that was held in Abuja on Monday.

Also, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale declared that the President had no political motive for intervening in the political crisis which rocked Rivers State.

He stated that the interest of the President was to see peace prevail in the oil-rich state adding that Tinubu is the father of the nation