Rivers crisis: Fubara abandoned his position in governance, pursuing illusions  — Okocha, APC Chairman

Tony Okocha, the chairman of the Caretaker Committee for the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that Sim Fubara, the state governor, was the mastermind behind the political crisis that was roiling the state. He further stated that the governor had completely abandoned governance and was starting to pursue shadows.

Okocha made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja while speaking to reporters at the national secretariat of the party.

Remember that on Monday, 27 MPs who supported the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and were thought to be close to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The State House of Assembly’s Speaker, Edison Ehie, announced the vacancies in their seats on Wednesday.

Four legislators approved the Rivers State 2024 Budget on Wednesday at a plenary session outside the State Assembly building, which was demolished the same day.

Okocha, who expressed happiness over the 27 former PDP lawmakers’ defection, claimed the APC had approved of their behaviour.

“I read a philosopher named Frantz Fanon, and he said that civil disobedience is the gift you give to an intransigent government,” the man stated. Furthermore, he asserted that in a society without laws, obedience is unimaginable.

The location of the House of Assembly is flexible. It’s not always about a structure. Members are free to sit anywhere as long as the mace is there. The 27 legislators convened this morning and even signed a few resolutions.

“The governor never bothered to form a panel or committee to conduct an investigation, not even after the building caught fire. We seem to know that he was the mastermind.

The government hauled it down yesterday, Wednesday, to show the members that defected that it was a fait accompli. However, as a party, we have vowed to combat illegal activity and to stop anyone from harassing lawmakers.

“We are here to demonstrate to the public our support for the legislators.” Their actions are not exceptional. There is nothing new about defection. After the PDP ran aground in 2014, a large number of its members defected to the other party.

“The PDP in Rivers has collapsed, and the benefits are being shared with us. We are informing the governor that his illicit activities cannot support him.

The APC Caretaker Committee Chairman insisted that the impeachment process was democratic while claiming he was unaware of any plot to remove the troubled governor of Rivers State.

Given that I am not a member of the House of Assembly, I will be hesitant to respond to that. Once more, the impeachment procedure is characteristic of democracy. I am aware that we haven’t reached that point yet. We will battle the administration for their uncivilised approach, that’s all. The constitution contains clauses that outline the grounds for a person to leave a party. Are you unaware that members left because of their indiscretion?

Additionally, he stated that if the FCT Minister decided to leave the main opposition party, the APC would be ready to support him.

“When we were undertaking Renewed Hope, I openly courted Wike to come to Macedonia and assist us.

“The APC won in 2023 as a result of his refusal to cooperate with the PDP’s presidential candidate. I restated our request for him to come yesterday, and he will take over as the party’s head. However, Fubara has entirely departed from government in Rivers and is now pursuing shadows.